Bridging The Gap The Final Records In Unova: An Autobiography
by QueensBorough
Summary: The sequel to A New Life Through The Eyes Of Kanto: An Autobiography, picks up two years later. After helping Gary (no relation to Pokemon Professor Gary Oak) escape his overprotective mother's house, June and Gary end up on a plane to the Unova Region. Unaware of what the future holds for them, an unbelievable connection to their previous adventures in Kanto, slowly unveils.
1. For Old Time's Sake Part 1 Of 3

"_Gary, what's going on, man?" greeted Robin._

"_Gary, oh my gosh, when did you get here? Finding out secret info on raising Pokémon before the rest of us? Huh? Huh?" accused Aly._

"_Garyyyyyy!" squealed Kiwi._

"_Hey, Kiwi, Aly, Robin!" I said as I moved towards them to hug Kiwi and Aly, and then proceeded to squeeze the life out of Robin's hand in a firm shake as he attempted the same to me._

_Prof. Oak revealed the Pokémon, Charmander._

"_Yes! Charmander!" I exclaimed, smiling._

"_Pidgey, Heat Wave!" Prof. Oak said. "This little guy learned the move from someone I know over in the Unova region."_

_Pidgey flew from Prof. Oak's shoulder to Kiwi's and nuzzled its head on her cheek. _

"_Awww! Que cute!" Kiwi petted it and took the Poke Ball from Prof. Oak._

_A Mankey came swinging through the trees. _

_Charmander watched him and then gave chase__,__ spitting flames after him. _

_I threw my Poke Ball as hard as I could at Mankey._

_The Poke Ball opened and Mankey was pulled in by the red beam. _

_PING!_

"_YES! I caught a Mankey!" I yelled out._

_A group of furious Mankey surrounded me.__They were on me in an instant, beating me continuously. Their claws, fists, and feet were pounding away at me relentlessly._

"_Pokémon are a hazard to the world," a man said seriously to Nurse Joy. "Do you know how many Pokémon Trainers die a year on these dangerous journeys? And how many of them are just children?!"_

_Squirtle looked to me and smiled. She ran past my Charmeleon and right up to me, reaching up with her hands like she wanted to be picked up!_

"_Awww!" I couldn't help it and I lifted her._

"_Squirtle, hit that thing with Water Gun!" Robin yelled._

_Squirtle waited for a short moment before she sent out a very feeble Water Gun attack at Charmeleon._

_Charmeleon just stood there calmly as the water hit his stomach lightly._

"_Squirtle, finish that thing with a Water Gun!" _

_Squirtle didn't move._

"_It looks like Squirtle and that trainer over there with the Charmeleon have a closer bond than the Squirtle has with her owner," a voice said from out of nowhere. "My name is June. I am the Gym Leader of Gringey City. It's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled and brushed her red hair out of her face as she extended her hand to me._

"_You are mine," Sabrina said, floating stationary in the air, staring down at us all as Haunter got too close for comfort. _

"_Go get him, Pidgeotto!" Kiwi yelled as she raised her Pokéball to toss it._

_Sabrina's eyes flashed white for an instant and the Poke Ball in Kiwi's hand exploded into dust._

_Kiwi stared in shock at her hand, and then a shrill shriek emitted from her mouth._

_Charizard's eyes widened in shock and a horrible look came over its face. It pulled its head back, ready to fire an attack. _

_One of the four men lifted his gun and aimed._

_BANG!  
Charizard's head exploded in blood._

_Seadra popped out of her Poke Ball, and with a cry, began to evolve in a burst of light. The light faded after a moment and a Kingdra was now in view. _

_Drock's words echoed in my head: "JUST KEEP HER! PLEASE! TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER! I LOVE HER! PLEASE!" She had run away in fear and left me to care for her Kingdra. Her very first Pokémon. And she had my Beedrill._

_My eyes began to tear up as I stared at Kingdra._

"_You've been force fed a world where Pokémon are fun creatures for you to master and control and have fun with through battles and ultimately gain the fame and the glory," Ray spoke. _

_The helicopter roared fiercely above, dropping Pokemon which exploded with an incredible force, forcing me onto my back._

_BBBBBLLLLLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!__was the sound that erupted from an attack aircraft that fired bullets around me._

_Officer Jenny grabbed my shoulders and threw me to the ground, out of harm's way._

"_My name is Isaac," Isaac spoke over the radio, "the leader of Team Solace. I am your new God. Team Solace, as a group, is what you shall consider your guardian angels. Those who have died or lost someone close to them due to these retched… monsters! To the poor youth who are either missing or very well dead!"_

"_Pokémon are our friends!" Aly screamed angrily, stepping forward. "Pokémon aren't evil! YOU'RE evil!" Aly turned to me and yelled, "You have to stand for what you believe in. You can't just cower away! How can we win if we let people like this step all over us?" She stormed over to Isaac, who sat there calmly, watching her._

"_ALY STOP!" I screamed frantically._

_**BOOM!**_

_The sound from the gun seemed to freeze time._

_Aly gasped loudly._

"_ALY! NO!" I screamed, my hands on her shoulders._

"_Gary," she managed to choke. She began to shake even harder on the ground, coughing up blood. She collapsed to the ground and remained still, her eyes open, rolled up inside of her head._

"_Aly… died…" I whispered._

_Robin kneeled down next to me, staring at me, his face covered in tears._

"_Solace?" Kiwi squeaked. "Killed her?"_

_"Kiwi is in the hospital right now. Apparently, a Raikou appeared and for some reason, attacked her," Prof. Oak informed me. "She became unresponsive. We think she'll be okay, but we can't be certain. She's still paralyzed. Keep her in your thoughts."_

"_It is time to demonstrate the dangers of Pokémon!" Isaac called out from the open door of a helicopter hovering above the battle stadium. "Once and for all!"_

_The boxes on the backs of the Pokémon sparked with electricity and a collective, deafening roar rose up from the Pokémon in the field as they were shocked. The Pokémon screamed and began swinging about dangerously, in pain._

"_For the disobedience of the Kanto Region and their lack of support for Team Solace's cause, a just judgment and swift execution must be delivered. Judgment shall be delivered through this here bomb's explosion. ONE WHICH WILL GO AS FAR AS REACHING ALL THE WAY TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF SAFFRON CITY!"_

_A Snorlax was behind me, standing up, looking up at the bomb as it headed for the ground, its mouth wide open in awe._

_The bomb dropped right into its mouth!_

_Isaac, screaming, falling right behind the bomb, fell into Snorlax's mouth as well! _

_I stared at Snorlax in shock, my eyes wide, my mouth hanging open in horror._

_Snorlax looked back at me, Isaac's body hanging out of its mouth, kicking and struggling to get his head free, screaming hysterically. __**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM M!**_

My entire body was shaking. My heart was beating rapidly. My breathing was unpleasant, shaky, and forced. There was nothing but darkness in my sights despite it being some time in the later half of the morning. I had refused to open my eyes since much earlier this morning, when I had woken up. Other than my trembling body, nervous breaths, and hurriedly beating heart, I hadn't moved a muscle all day.

Even from behind my eyelids and the closed blinds, I could tell that the sun was out. Birds chirped outside, but other than that, there wasn't much else to hear.

Pallet Town had always been a pretty quiet place, but not like it had been after what occurred about two years ago at the Indigo Plateau not far away from here. The tragedy that occurred there was catastrophic and haunted me to this very day.

Actually, the entirety of the Pokemon journey I had embarked on three years ago with my three closest friends was one that I relived on a daily basis. Both the good, and the bad of it.

During the year I had traveled as a Pokemon Trainer, I had grown a lot as a person and experienced perhaps far too much. I had earned the minimum required number of eight badges to compete in the Pokemon League, captured a decent amount of Pokemon, at least, in my opinion, and made a lot of good friends.

During the year I had traveled as a Pokemon Trainer, I had suffered. I'd been attacked by wild Mankey almost as soon as my journey had begun on my way to Viridian City. One of my Pokemon, a Beedrill, was gone, probably forever, due to a trade mishap. I had encountered a terrorist group known as Team Solace, who were motivated to wipe out the entire species of Pokemon because they felt they were all a threat to mankind's existence and stopped at nothing to try achieving their goal.

Worst of all, I'd lost one of my best friends due to Team Solace. Aly. She'd been shot dead trying to stand up to them during one of their evil plans they were unfolding. It was the most heart wrenching, painful experience I'd ever had to go through. I somehow forced myself to continue on my journey, like I knew she would have wanted me to, in her name. It was a nearly impossible feat, but with time, and the support of my Pokemon and my good friend, June, I had managed to rebuild my courage and strength and continued with my journey, eventually ending up competing in the Pokemon League, where I finished amongst the top eight.

It was during the final match of the Pokemon League that Team Solace reared their ugly head once more, interrupting the battle and unleashing their most evil plan, which involved causing pain throughout all the Pokemon in the stadium and making them unruly. They then dropped a bomb which contained the power to blow up half of the Kanto Region, from a helicopter hovering above the stadium. The plan was foiled, and the leader, Isaac, the ringleader of all the mayhem, was killed.

"_Team Solace has finally come to an end."_ Those were the words Prof. Oak spoke to me when I had been recovering in the hospital following the final fight against Team Solace, and they repeated in my mind often, giving me peace of mind and comfort. But nothing would erase the horror from my memory.

The nightmares that haunted me every night had slowed down to a near stop for a while now, and I was finally able to sleep easier for a change. But when I was awake, I often reflected on what happened back then. I'd been in the hospital for about a year, suffering from burns and injuries. It was a slow, painful recovery process, and even now I could feel sore points in specific parts of my body, but it was more than bearable.

I inhaled deeply and tried to relax.

My heart gave a special, sharp twinge of pain as I thought of all my Pokemon. I hadn't seen any of them since the attack at the Pokemon League. I missed them desperately. They were some of my best friends. The six who had been with me during the final day at the Pokemon League had been severely injured. The last I'd heard, three of them were back with Prof. Oak right now. The other three were still in a nearby Pokemon Center, still recovering. They'd be fine in a few more months was what Prof. Oak had told me. Or at least, that's what he had written to me.

A Hoppip had been delivering notes to me from Prof. Oak since he, and no one else, for that matter, was allowed to visit me anymore, a rule put in place by my mom after I'd come home from the hospital following the attack at the Pokemon League. Hoppip would land on my windowsill and gently tap on my window, holding up a note.

I'd read the note, smile and nod, and the little creature would leap off of the windowsill and sail away in the wind. The notes helped me not feel so alone. Sometimes they were simple greetings and well wishes. Other times, they were updates about how my Pokemon were, or about Robin, Kiwi, and even June, who I was glad to know were all doing well and were back home.

According to Prof. Oak, Kiwi had been interviewed by a news crew about two years ago regarding an attack she had suffered from a Raikou, leaving her entire body paralyzed, at the time. Now, she was in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. It was unknown how long it would last, or if she'd ever recover. Her mom had been vehemently against her daughter being interviewed, but gave in once Kiwi insisted on it.

According to the professor, Robin's house, and what used to be Aly's house, both, had also been pestered by news reporters.

The reporters had shown up at Robin's house the same day Robin got back home from the hospital. Robin's parents refused to even answer the door, eventually calling the police when the reporters didn't leave their front yard after a week.

The news crew that went to what was Aly's house was chased away by just about everyone in Pallet Town in a rage that they would dare to bother the woman who had lost her daughter not long ago. This had happened while I was still in the hospital, although I had also been told that a few news reporters had originally started appearing around the house only a couple of days after Aly's death, which was during the time I had still been on my journey, and they were warned by Prof. Oak himself to not come around anymore.

Prof. Oak also told me that a set of news reporters had tried to get a word from me, as well, but I hadn't seen or heard from anyone, so it was clear that my mom had kept them away.

Another note that Prof. Oak had sent to me filled me with a mix of anger and nausea. Following the Pokemon League attack, the news was filled with reports for a while involving how people felt about Team Solace's goals and motives. While a high majority of people were glad that Team Solace was no longer active, a surprising number of people actually agreed with Team Solace's goals and felt that they were acting from a good place in their hearts. The last poll taken showed that eighteen percent of people questioned were either completely on the side of Team Solace, or felt that they might have had some kind of good, moral reasoning in what they were doing. Most of the people siding with Team Solace were the kind of people Team Solace targeted to agree with them and give their message strength. The kind of people who would hear their message and be hit the hardest, emotionally. Parents. Especially parents whose kids were currently traveling as Pokemon Trainers. Parents who hadn't heard from their kids in ages. Parents whose kids had died on their journey.

While I could understand that there was reason to be concerned about young children traveling alone to capture and battle with often times very dangerous creatures, the means Team Solace went through to prove that Pokemon were dangerous was unforgiveable and outrageous. For anyone to side with them was unfathomable to me.

I had seen the news and was already well aware of what Prof. Oak had told me in that note, but reading it again enraged me as if it was the first time I was hearing of it.

The lightweight Hoppip would sometimes get blown off of the windowsill before I could read the notes, or would never reach my window at all due to strong winds. I had no idea why Prof. Oak didn't send a better Pokemon to deliver his messages.

There was no way for me to send Prof . Oak a message back or keep the messages he delivered to me. My window was nailed shut, and metal bars were on the outside of it. My mom had effectively made me a prisoner.

Me and my mom always had a rough relationship. We had always constantly fought, and usually, there was little I could do to avoid it. Anything could set her off, and almost always did. What made it worse was that she held a grudge for the longest time, even over the smallest things. My mom was against Pokemon and didn't want me to become a Pokemon Trainer in the first place. She tried to show some level of support for me at first, but as things got dangerous, as they always do for a Pokemon Trainer, she became more and more upset and demanded I come back home and stop my journey, which I of course refused to do. Our relationship suffered even more from this, but I always tried to keep in contact with her, and she even showed up at the Pokemon League to see me a couple of times.

Another reason for her disdain for Pokemon was due to the fact that her husband, my dad, had died. He left the family a couple of years before I left on my journey. He wanted to better his training and relationship with his Pokemon and come back one day as an accomplished and well recognized Pokemon Trainer in order make more money for the family, despite our life being just fine as it was, as far as I saw it. He ended up dead for reasons never explained to me.

My sister, Melissa, another puzzle piece in the reason why my mom hates Pokemon, left on her journey a year before I did, and hadn't been doing well at all on her quest. She had last called the house about a month before I left to go on my journey. Nobody's heard from her since. I had kept it in my heart for so long that she was still alive out there, somewhere. I didn't run into her when I had been traveling like I was sure I would, and by the time I had been competing in the Pokemon League, I had no idea what to believe anymore and had pretty much given up hope on finding her alive. But I knew I'd find her. One way or another.

Team Solace had given my mom the perfect reason to never let me out of the house again, and following their final attack, my mom now had me in her grasp again, and I was prohibited from leaving or having company.

A few months ago, the doorbell rang, and I had opened the door to my room silently, crept down the stairs, and saw my mom speaking to Robin! My very best friend!

"Is he okay?" Robin asked my mom, both of his arms wrapped in white bandages, a long, wooden cane in his left hand. He looked terrible. He appeared completely exhausted and beaten, several bruises around his face, but there he was, standing at the front door to my house, obviously still recovering from the attack from Team Solace.

"He's fine," my mom snapped. "Please leave."

Robin turned and saw me, letting out a surprised gasp. "Wait!" Robin pleaded, but my mom slammed the door in his face.

She turned around and saw me. Raw fury flashed in her eyes, and I ran as fast as I could, back up the stairs to my room, but my mom gave chase.

Before I could reach the door to my room, I heard the jingle of her belt, the _crack _as she stretched it between her hands, and I felt the sting of the metal buckle against the back of my neck, forcing me to the ground, hard. The beating was harsh, and I barely managed to get inside of my room, crying and begging loudly. I slammed the door, holding my weight against it, breathing hard as she kicked at the door and screamed for me to open it. I refused to open the door and begged for her to leave me alone.

After about ten minutes, she finally stopped her attack, and I heard her stomp back downstairs.

I laid on the floor of my room, my body aching in pain all over, my arms wrapped around my knees, crying heavily with my eyes pressed against my knees.

My mom didn't leave the house. Ever. She had our groceries delivered from the store, just to make sure I didn't sneak out while she was gone. She just stayed in the living room all day and all night, watching television, unless she was cooking or had to go to the bathroom. At night, she slept on the futon in front of the TV. Sometimes the TV was still on, and other times it was turned off.

The house had a lot of creaky spots in the floorboards, and my mom's panic and fear for me kept her sensitive to all noises. In other words, all attempts of me sneaking out and running away in the middle of the night, no matter how late it was, how slowly I moved, or how quietly I crept, ended in complete failure. At one point, my effort to escape resulted in me getting beat over the head with a frying pan as I ran away, crying, back to my room. I hadn't tried to run away again since that beating.

Not too many days after that incident, I looked out the window one morning after hearing someone ring the doorbell, shortly followed by a loud slam of the door. My eyes watered when I saw that it was June, walking away, her head lowered sadly.

She looked up at my window and her eyes lit up when she saw me. She immediately smiled and waved to me, and I smiled and waved back, but there was little else we could do.

I could see the pain in her eyes, and it brought tears to my own eyes.

June had wiped at her eyes and glared at the front door. She looked back up to me and gave me a determined stare. With a nod, she quickly ran away.

It was that same night that I heard something in my room, and after slowly, cautiously, making my way to the light switch, a flash of light from the corner of my room grabbed my attention and I screamed at the sight of the enormous electric spider Pokemon, Galvantula!

Its body was glowing, and it ran towards me immediately.

I shrieked like a hungry, newborn baby and ran away from it.

The spider crawled out the open door of my room.

My heart pounding in fear, looking after the large Bug, I swallowed hard, shivering in place. I then noticed from out of the corner of my eye, a piece of paper that was drifting to the ground. I had meant to bend over to see it better, but my quivering legs caused me to drop to the ground on my knees, my body seemingly made of Jell-O. Picking up the note in my trembling hands, I silently read the words: _You'll know when to run. –June._

The door to my room burst open and the light turned on.

I turned around sharply in fright and hid my hands behind my back. "Mom!" I exclaimed, squinting in the light.

She squinted at me in her blue jeans and white T-shirt, her bare feet on the carpeted floor in my room. "What's wrong?" she snapped. "Why were you screaming?

"I thought I saw a bug," I thought up quickly. "I don't know where it went."

She sighed and just stared at me for a moment, and then looked around my room before eyeing me once more, suspiciously. "Go to bed," she said angrily, and left my room, slamming the door behind her.

That had been three days ago.

I had no idea what June's note had meant, and I hadn't seen her or any of her Pokemon again, since.

Galvantula is okay, I thought. All of our Pokemon had been in such critical shape, but it seems her Galvantula is alright. Great… I hated June's Galvantula, though I guess it was good that at least one of her Pokemon was in good health again.

A shrill scream ripped me from my thoughts, making my eyes pop wide open, and I sat up in my bed quickly. The scream was coming from downstairs. "Mom!" I yelled, and leaped out of bed. For some reason, my legs didn't carry me to the door to my mother's shrill shrieking. I stared at the door, paralyzed. What's going on? I thought in a panic. Suddenly, it hit me.

I removed my blue shorts I had on, ran in my white boxers and undershirt to the closet, and flung the door open. Several pairs of clothes, including jeans, shirts, a heavyweight, black coat, a lightweight, black jacket, a black beanie hat, and my black backpack, were tossed to the ground behind me. Quickly, I scooped them all into the backpack, except for the jacket, and ran to my dresser drawer. Socks and underwear from the bottom drawer were immediately forced into the bag and I zipped the bag closed. I quickly pulled another pair of socks from the drawer and pulled them onto my feet.

My mom's screams grew even louder and more desperate.

I hope I'm not making a mistake, I thought as my body trembled with excitement and fear, running back to the closet to grab a pair of dark blue jeans. After literally leaping into them and wrapping a belt around the waist, I struggled frantically into a black polo shirt.

As my feet were forced inside of a pair of dirty, black sneakers, my mom's pleas for help got more desperate and loud.

She might really be in trouble! I realized. Maybe this isn't what I thought! I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder, grabbed my black baseball cap with the Poke Ball design on the back from my bed, and, putting it on my head backwards, snatched up from the floor my black jacket with the embroidered design of my favorite Pokemon of all time, Mewtwo, on the right breast of it, as I ran out of my room, leaping down the stairs, reaching the bottom floor in two long leaps.

My mom was nowhere in the living room.

A loud banging noise surprised me, coming from the kitchen.

"MOM!" I screamed out, struggling to get my jacket on.

Her yells rang out again, coming from the kitchen, making me jump, and I ran into the kitchen.

I gasped at the sight before me. "MOMMY!" I screamed in horror.

The upper half of my mom's body was in the refrigerator, the door closed on her as she seemed to be struggling against it, screaming in terror!

The refrigerator was leaping up and down in the air, slamming heavily to the ground, two jagged, blue lines at its sides, reaching into the sky like arms, the normally white fridge, now a deep red, two circular, white designs near the top, a large, red spike on the very top of it. A strange design underneath the two circular shapes grabbed my attention. It almost looked like a smile…

"Rotom?!" I gasped.

The refrigerator leaped even more excitedly, slamming hard and noisily to the floor, and made a strange cry.

"Whoa! Rotom!" I screamed, my body shaking hard, a smile starting to spread over my face despite the fear flooding throughout my body.

Though my heart kicked strongly in my chest from the decision.

Though my mind screamed both against and for it.

Though I knew I had no idea what would happen in the following seconds if I made such a brash decision.

I ran out of the house as fast as I could.

I tore through the front yard, the sun beaming down on it, the air fresh and invigorating, and made a sharp left. I ran past a few houses, including Kiwi's, Aly's mom's, and finally, Robin's, before I made another left, and…

"Aaahh!"

My scream was combined with another person's cry as I slammed into them and backed up a few feet.

Wearing a yellow shirt underneath a red, lightweight jacket, tight red jeans, and snow white sneakers, her large, black bag slung over her right shoulder, June's face of surprise turned to joy as she leaped forward and wrapped me in a hug.

I hugged her back, more intent on catching her after she made such an awkward, stupid jump, than actually hugging her.

"Gary! You're here!" she cried.

"June! What's going on?" I exclaimed. "Is that your Rotom in my house attacking my mom?!"

June held my shoulders in her hands and pulled back, staring at me in shock. "It's attacking her?"

"Well, it's kind of eating her," I replied calmly. "I mean, it took over the fridge and is holding her inside of it."

June sighed with relief and then glared at me. "Gosh, Gary. It's just holding her. She'll be fine. You had me worried! You know Rotom hasn't been the same since hanging around with your Porygon-Z."  
I glared at June. "Not now, June!" I snapped.

She nodded solemnly and grabbed my hand, pulling me into a run.

I didn't resist. There was no other choice but to run at this point.

We ran together, June gripping my hand tightly, me urgently keeping up with her surprisingly fast pace, a gentle breeze blowing warm air against us.

"Gary, I'm sorry I took so long to message you," June breathed as she ran.

"Why the hell did you have to send Galvantula into my room in the middle of the freaking night for?" I demanded, feeling an angry surge within me.

"Galvantula was the only one who could just sneak into your house," June explained. "I mean, Rotom could have done it, too, but…" June paused. "I dunno. I guess I should have chosen Rotom instead. Sorry. It's been a couple of years, you know? I forgot you don't like Bugs."

"I have a damn _phobia_ of the things!" I shouted angrily.

"_Sorry!_" June yelled back. "Anyway, I had to think up a plan, and I told Rotom to cause some kind of distraction in the house since it can just take over things. I didn't think it would do what you told me it did, but it worked!"

"Well, thanks, but what's the rest of the plan? I can't possibly go back home, now!"

"We're headed for the Johto Region!"

"Johto? Why there?"

"It's so close by! We can break away into there and then…"

"And then…?"

"I didn't get much further than that…" June admitted.

"WHAT?" I yelled angrily. "You get my mom attacked by one of your Pokemon, and we have no idea of what's going to happen next other than the fact that we're going to enter a region _right next door?!_"  
"I just wanted to get you out of there!" June cried back. "I'm sorry! I saw you in your room, all alone and sad. Your mom said you weren't allowed company. Ever! I felt like you needed help! I knew after deep thought that you'd be held there for a long time and not be allowed outside without her, if at all. The best idea I had was to run off to the Johto Region together!"

"Okay, okay," I said in a gentler tone. "We'll head-" A loud roar from the right side of me stopped my sentence and I cried out in fear as I turned, seeing only a flash of red in front of me. I was tackled hard to the ground, screaming in fright. A wet, sticky, disgusting feeling came over my face and I yelled out in disgust. Struggling underneath the sickening feeling on my face, I reached up and pushed against it, looking right into the face of the thing above me. "CHARIZARD!" I shouted in shock.

An enormous dragon stood near me, its head in my face, its tongue repeatedly wiping the right side of my cheek, slobbering over me.

"CHARIZARD!" I screamed out again, happily this time.

It was _my _Charizard! My very first Pokemon, once a Charmander so long ago, fully evolved during our travels together! This _had_ to be my Pokemon!

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, tears filling my eyes and uncontrollably running down my cheeks, and he let out a deep purr in reaction, nuzzling his head against my face, his large tears dripping onto me.

"Rotom got a hold of him," June said, looking down at us, smiling. "I told it to collect all of your Pokemon, but I guess it couldn't find the others. This was all it got."

I didn't let go of Charizard, but I looked up at June, my smile fading. "Primeape? Weepinbell? I heard they were back from the Pokemon Center! They should've been there! And the other Pokemon who have been staying with Prof. Oak! They should be fine!"

"I know, Gary, but this was all Rotom came back with!" June said sadly. "I'm so sorry."

With a loud cry, June's Rotom, in its normal Form, flew past her and stopped in midair, turning around to face us, smiling.  
"Rotom!" I called out to it.

June turned in surprise. "There you are!" she smiled. She turned back to me, her smile fading. "I'm so sorry, Gary. I told Rotom to check carefully. I sent it out early this morning, when I was sure all of the Pokemon would be outside, getting breakfast. Perhaps I should have waited a bit longer." She turned to Rotom. "Are you sure you couldn't find any of Gary's other Pokemon? I know I had you on a rushed timeframe, but was Charizard all you found?"

Rotom had a serious look on its face as it nodded quickly.

June sighed and turned back to me, a sad look on her face. "I'm really sorry, Gary."

"It's fine," I replied, rubbing Charizard's head as I looked at him, smiling, still crying with joy from having spent so long without seeing him.

Charizard let out several grunts repeatedly, pushing hard against my face with his own, showing affection.

"Gary!" June said suddenly, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up to my feet. "If Rotom is here, we have to go!" She yanked me hard and we ran, Rotom leading the way, and soon after, Charizard taking flight, flying next to Rotom.

"June, what direction is Johto?" I asked, keeping my joyful eyes on Charizard.

June didn't answer. She just stopped out of nowhere.

I ran past her before realizing she had stopped and was pulled back by her tight grasp on my wrist, gasping in surprise.

Charizard and Rotom stopped, Charizard landing heavily on the ground, Rotom freezing in midair.

I didn't understand what was wrong at first, but then I saw him.

"Gary!" Prof. Oak called out to me from ahead of the four of us, glaring with disapproval.

"Prof. Oak!" I exclaimed in shock.

Prof. Oak shook his head and continued to stare coldly at me. "Gary," he said, taking a step towards us. He turned to June. "And Jill, as well. I am very surprised to see this. You both have managed to acquire Charizard from my lab and are trying to break away from here. I wish I didn't have to say this, but I am very disappointed in you two. Gary, your mother's request is that you stay here. I cannot allow you to just leave like this. I don't know what you intend to do with Charizard, but you have no permission to leave this place. Your mother is still your guardian. I'm very sorry, Gary, but you cannot proceed any further."

It was all over.

Galvantula scaring the crap out of me in my room.

Rotom retrieving my Charizard.

Rotom trapping my mom.

June's eagerness to set me free.

All for nothing.

My shoulders slumped, my body trembling, my heart dropping in my chest, fear filling my body as I thought of the fact that I'd be returning back home to my mom.

Prof. Oak took another step towards us.

A loud cry rang out and caused us all to look around in surprise.

A mysterious figure leaped out from seemingly nowhere, its body covered in a bright spark of light. With another cry, what looked like lightning flew from its body and hit Prof Oak!

Prof. Oak screamed out in pain and collapsed to the ground, twitching and groaning, his body sparking with electricity.

"PORYGON-Z!" I shouted in shock, my eyes wide in disbelief, staring up at my Pokemon.

Porygon-Z flew at me and circled my body.

June shrieked in pure terror and stumbled back at the sight of my Pokemon.

I smiled and tears overflowed at the sight of my good friend as I pulled it into a hug.

Porygon-Z shivered in my grasp and cried out with joy.

"Porygon-Z! I can't believe you're here! What are you doing here?" I laughed.

"Prof. Oak!" June was staring down at the professor, fear on her face, her hands to her cheeks.

I looked down at the paralyzed professor, my heart beating in fear, wondering what would happen from here on out. There's no looking back now, I realized immediately. I released Porygon-Z from my hold and looked up at it. "Porygon-Z, let's go!" I insisted.

It let out a cheerful cry, its head spinning rapidly.

I ran past it, Charizard, and Rotom, and grabbed June's shoulders. "Come on!"

"B-b-b-but…" June stammered. "Prof. Oak! We can't just leave him!"

"We don't have a choice! I don't wanna leave him, either! But we're in huge trouble now! We have to go!"

"_NO!_" June shrieked, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "I will _not_ leave the professor like this!"

I shook June harshly. "_June!_ We've gone through too much! We have to get going! We have to get far away from here! We're like criminals now! We attacked the Professor!"

"NO! _YOU'RE _Pokemon did!" June accused, turning to Porygon-Z.

I looked back to see Porygon-Z and Rotom spinning in circles, facing each other, looking into each other's eyes eagerly.

"This is all _your_ Pokemon's fault!" June yelled at me, fire in her eyes. "I _told_ you your Pokemon is out of control! And I _still_ can't read that damn thing!"

I stared at her momentarily, unsure of what to say.

June was able to understand the language of Pokemon and communicate with them, and yet she couldn't understand my Porygon-Z. In fact, she was downright terrified of it. She also had been unable to read the Bug type Pokemon owned by the Viridian City Gym Leader, but eventually had managed to understand them and their feelings for their trainer after I had defeated them. There remained no reason for why June couldn't read those Bug Pokemon in the first place, nor a reason why she was unable to read Porygon-Z to this day.

"We'll discuss this later," I replied angrily through gritted teeth. "For now, we're in huge freaking trouble!"

Prof. Oak groaned and shivered on the ground, his body sparking as he struggled to get to his feet.

I stared at him, eyes wide, my heart beating quickly. "June, we're out of here! You're welcome to join us!" I turned to Charizard. "Come on! Porygon-Z, you, too!" I regretted it immediately, but I sucked in a deep breath and ran past Prof. Oak.

Charizard roared and I heard him take flight, flapping his powerful wings.

Porygon-Z cried out and I heard it make a strange noise close by me, letting me know it was following me.

I heard footsteps and June's heavy, frantic breathing behind me, accompanied by Rotom's yell, and I knew I had a couple of more companions with me.

The five of us ran past Prof. Oak's mansion.

I made a turn away from Route 1, unsure of where I was leading the group.

We were running through open plains, away from the houses of Pallet Town, alongside the trees surrounding Route 1.

June shrieked loudly and ran past me, Porygon-Z not far behind her, blatantly following her, scaring the life out of June, unintentionally.

I would have laughed if the situation weren't so serious. "CUT IT OUT, PORYGON-Z!" I barked seriously.

Porygon-Z continued to chase after June, ignoring me.

Rotom hovered above June easily.

I couldn't hold it in any longer and smiled broadly at the sight, my body shaking with restrained laughter.

With a loud gasp, June stopped in her tracks.

Rotom froze in place.

Even Porygon-Z stopped chasing after June, tumbling in midair for a few seconds before stopping to stare at the sight before it.

Charizard let out a growl and hovered in the air, flapping his large wings.

Once I saw what everyone was looking at, I stopped running, too, my heart thumping in my throat, frightened.

Charizard landed heavily on the ground behind me.

"Gary," was the harsh whisper that came from the throat of my lifelong friend.

"Kiwi?" I managed choke out, my eyes filling with painful tears without hesitation.

Kiwi sat in an electronic wheelchair, wearing blue shorts and a light blue T-shirt, her feet sitting in brown sandals.

I hadn't seen Kiwi in over two years due to her being attacked by a Raikou, and then me being locked up inside of my own house. The last time I had seen her, her black hair had ended at her shoulders. Now, it was cut much shorter around her head.

She glared coldly out at me, and only me, ignoring the others who were with me.

I had wanted to see her for so long, and yet, now that I was seeing her face to face, I had a feeling in my chest telling me that nothing good was going to come out of this. Seeing her now was absolutely, undeniably, terrifying.

"What do you think you're doing, Gary?" she asked me seriously, her eyes stabbing into my eyes and chest like the sharpest, coldest of icicles.

My mouth dropped open to answer her, but nothing came from it.

"Charizard and Porygon-Z," Kiwi noted coldly. "Going somewhere?"

I shook my head, though I was obviously lying. I felt like I had answered against my will.

She smirked, but the smile was the most sinister, suspicious smile I may have ever witnessed in my life. It sent chills down my spine.

"Where are you headed, Gary?" she insisted in a shiver inducing tone.

I shook my head again, completely incapable of speaking at this point.

Kiwi glared at me angrily.

My entire body was on ice.

Nobody spoke.

"Unova sounds like your best bet," Kiwi spoke up after a moment. "Where else is better than to have a fresh start in a region as far away as there, in a place so much different than Kanto? Especially for someone trying to run away."

I swallowed, but didn't answer.

Kiwi's eyes squinted at me. "Your choice. I wish you good luck, though." She pressed a few buttons on the right arm of her wheelchair, making it move forward.

I kept my eyes on her, turning around as she wheeled around behind us and smoothly rolled away, her chair whirring.

June, Rotom, Charizard, and Porygon-Z looked after her.

Gritting my teeth, I glared at Charizard and walked over to him. He purred deeply as I pet his stomach. "You ready to fly?" I asked him seriously.

Charizard nodded and grunted.

I climbed onto his back. "Porygon-Z, we're going for a ride!"

Porygon-Z looked over to me and let out a shrill shriek that I hadn't heard it make in a long time. One that tore through my earsdrums painfully.

Me, June, Charizard, and Rotom screamed out in pain.

I covered my ears and closed my eyes as I cried out, Charizard rocking underneath me as it roared. "_SHUT UUUUUUUUUP!" _I yelled at the top of my lungs.

A moment later, the cry ended.

I opened my eyes and screamed out in fright, surprised to see Porygon-Z right in front of my face, staring at me.

Charizard was shaking his head, his eyes closed.

June glared at Porygon-Z, a wary look in her eyes.

Rotom looked up at Porygon-Z with a smile.

"June, we're out of here," I told her, glaring at her. "Are you coming or not? You put a lot of work into helping us get this far. Are you going to just throw it all away?"

June looked after where Kiwi had left, turning back to me with a fearful look in her tear filled eyes. She shook her head slowly. "Gary, we can't-"

"Fine," I cut her off sharply, causing her to gasp a little. "I don't have time for this, June. We've done too much and come too far. I'm not going back home. No matter what. I can't! Goodbye, June." My heart pounded as I pointed to the sky, not wanting to leave June behind, but I couldn't force her to come with me if she didn't want to go. "Let's go, Charizard!"

Charizard roared and his wings extended. With a few tremendous flaps, he ascended and flew into the sky.

I swallowed hard and grasped Charizard's back tightly as the wind blew against me, Pallet Town began to shrink right in front of my eyes, Porygon-Z spinning in circles right above my head, its body outlined in yellow. Something caught my eye beneath me, and I turned to see what it was, immediately gasping in surprise, but soon after, smiling.

June was flying in the air after me, looking up at me with determination. Her body was outlined in a light green color.

Rotom was beneath her, floating after her, its eyes glowing light green.

June smiled as our eyes met, but didn't speak.

"June!" I said happily.

"We should make a right turn if we're going to Johto!" June called up to me.

I shook my head hard. "No," I replied.

"No?" June questioned.

I nodded. "You heard me." I pointed forward and Charizard roared loudly, flying forward with a strong burst of speed, leading the way.

"Gary! Slow down! Where are we going?" June yelled after me.

June's feet lightly walked across the shiny floor behind mine, our reflections clear as if looking into a crystal clear lake under the sun.

Porygon-Z and Rotom let out gentle, cheerful cries as they circled above both of our heads.

Charizard was behind June and I, walking on the ground, sniffing the air, growling at other people's Pokemon as they walked by us, causing me to yell at him to behave every so often.

"Are you sure about this, Gary?" June asked.

The building was enormous, with different corridors, escalators, stairs, people, stands, stores, and doors, _everywhere._ It was impossible to take note of everything in the airport. It was filled with everything that a traveler could possibly need and want, and then some!

"I think it's our best option considering the circumstances," I replied. "If you trust that I'll pay you back as soon as I possibly can, and you're willing to do it…"

June nodded. "If this is what you want."

"I don't know what I want anymore. You didn't really tell me what to expect or think about, and now, we're just going with the flow."

June lowered her head solemnly. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I was honestly just trying to help."

I nodded and managed a smile. "Thanks."

June looked up at me sorrowfully, but seeing my smile, she smiled for just a moment before it faded away only seconds later. "But, aren't you worried that Kiwi might tell Prof. Oak or the police where we're headed? Why would she tell us to go to Unova? Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"I considered that," I said, not looking at her. "Even if she does, Unova is the one of the farthest places to go. It's honestly our best bet. And we never told her we were definitely going there. Besides, I don't believe Kiwi would do that. She's one of my best friends. She has nothing to gain by telling on us. It doesn't make any sense to me."

"It doesn't make any sense that she would tell us to go to Unova, either, if you ask me," June replied uncertainly.

"I trust Kiwi," I said confidently.

We approached a counter with a brunette woman smiling at us warmly in a pure white suit. "Hello," she greeted us, exposing her pearly whites as well. "Welcome to RoundCrossways. Do you have tickets ready to this flight leaving shortly? The final passengers are urged to board immediately."

June and I exchanged glances, and I nodded at the uncertain look on her face before turning back to the woman.

"N-" I began.

"No," June said, bumping me gently with her hip, giving me a sly smile. "We'll be catching the next flight to Unova, please. I'd like to pay for our tickets now."

"Okay," the woman nodded happily, typing on a computer in front of her. "I'll just need some form of identification, please."

June reached in her pocket and pulled out the Thunder Badge, handing it to the woman.

The lady took it and examined it before pulling out a long, white, lightly humming, electronic tube with a yellow, glowing top and waved it over the badge. She put away the tube and typed for a couple of minutes on the keyboard before finally handing June her badge back and turned to me expectantly.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, and fumbled around for my Pokedex. It wasn't in my jeans. My heart began to beat hard. Oh, no, I thought in a panic, digging through my jacket pockets. I'm screwed. I'm so stupid. This is all June's fault for not inform- "Aha!" I cried out happily as I checked the pocket inside of my jacket and gratefully pulled out the Pokedex, squeezing it tightly, and then handing it to the woman.

She placed it in a slot in the computer and typed for a moment before taking it out and handing it back to me with a wide grin. "So, how will you be paying for this?" she asked June sweetly.

"I'll be using my…" June dug around in her pockets. The pretty smile on her face soon gave way to worry.

I began to feel a panic in my chest while watching June.

June pulled the pockets of her jeans inside out, and then did the same to the pockets of her jacket. She dropped her enormous bag to the ground and dug through it, tossing multiple items around her, including soaps, shampoos, clothes, Poke Balls, and many other items I didn't recognize.

With a sharp cry, she looked up at me and then turned to the woman behind the counter. "Um..."

"June?" I asked nervously.

She turned to me, fright written on her face. Her throat widened as she swallowed, and that made me swallow in concern. June turned back to the lady.

The lady looked at us both, an uncertain look on her face.

Suddenly, a loud, familiar cry rang out, and the screen on the lady's computer flashed brightly, blinding us.

The three of us closed our eyes against the flash, and I blinked against the bright lights flashing in my eyes. When they had faded, the woman behind the counter was still rubbing her eyes, June blinking a little bit, looking around.

"Wow, what was that?" the lady murmured, looking down at her computer screen.

"Porygon-Z?" I asked quietly, looking around.

Rotom stared at me with an eager smile.

Charizard was looking outside of an enormous set of windows that replaced an entire wall, reaching around the building, at the planes parked outside.

"OH!" the lady screamed out in shock.

All of us looked at her, surprised by her outburst.

"Gary and June! You both already paid for your flight!" the lady said with a smile. "Earlier this morning!" The pretty woman looked up at us and smiled brightly. "You don't need to pay again. But you do need to board this plane, immediately."

June and I exchanged stunned glances.

I turned to the woman." Okay!" I shouted quickly, and started to walk past her, down the corridor behind her.

The woman leaped in front of me, smiling gently. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to put the Charizard back into its Poke Ball. It's far too large to be allowed walking around freely on the plane. The other one over there should be okay, but the Charizard is a bit too dangerous and large. I'm very sorry."

I turned to Charizard.

Charizard let out a grunt, staring back at me.

I felt my belt, knowing there were no Poke Balls on it. "Wait!" I cried out, turning to the lady. "Just let me buy a Poke Ball! I don't have one for him right now!" I explained.

The lady shook her head sadly. "There just isn't enough time. You need to board the plane right this moment or you can wait for the next flight, but that will cost you extra money."

I stared at the woman in shock. "But…"

"If you're boarding, you will need to get on right this instant," she said urgently. "Please!" She extended her arm towards the corridor.

I turned back to Charizard.

Charizard let out a mournful cry.

I ran to him and leaped at his throat, wrapping it in a hug. "Charizard…"

"Sir, if you don't board right now, you won't be able to get on this flight!" the lady called to me.

I looked Charizard in the eyes.

His eyes were coated in a layer of water.

"Hey!" I said strongly. "You head on back to Prof. Oak's and take good care of him. And before you get any crazy ideas, it's far too dangerous to follow the plane I'll be in. And I don't need you getting lost following the wrong plane or something. Once I'm in Unova, I'll find a way to get you out to me, buddy. But I have to go." My voice lowered to a whisper. "Porygon-Z is doing me a huge favor right now. I, you, we, can't pass up this opportunity."

"Excuse me, Mr.-" the lady demanded impatiently.

I released Charizard, refusing to show tears. "Get home safely! I'm coming back for you!" I told him strongly, and I closed my eyes and ran away from Charizard, past the lady, and down the corridor. Charizard roared tremendously, painfully, behind me, but I refused to look back.

I hadn't felt a pain so bad in such a long time.

"Gary!" June shouted, running after me.

I didn't stop running, plowing down the hallway, away from one of my best friends in the entire world.

My head split. My ears popped. I grabbed my head in pain and groaned. As the plane ascended higher into the sky, shaking hard, experiencing some turbulence, which made me start to fearfully regret getting on this plane at all, I felt an agony I had only heard of from others describing their bad experiences on planes.

My mom was terrified to fly, but my dad hadn't been. I was always eager to fly on a plane, but never got the chance to. Our trips together ended up being mostly throughout the Kanto Region. Any distant trips through Kanto or to foreign locations were taken by boat, bus, train, or car.

My dad traveled by himself by plane to other places sometimes, without my mom's approval, but he didn't care. In fact, my dad's last trip was on a plane. He arrived wherever he had been flying to safely, but, of course, he never came back.

And now, here I was, traveling with June, her Rotom in its Poke Ball, and her four other Pokemon in their Poke Balls. The last time I had been traveling with June, through Kanto, she had ten Pokemon with her. When she had pulled out all of her belongings from her bag, looking for her credit card to pay for the flight, I had only spotted five Poke Balls, a sticker containing the first letter of whatever Pokemon was inside, on each one.

Were her other Pokemon not fully recovered, yet? Where were they right now? Did she leave them at a Pokemon Center while she planned to travel to another region with me? She still had Galvantula and Rotom, but did I know the other three Pokemon she has, or are they new Pokemon?

Would Charizard make it back home to Pallet Town safely? I didn't have a Poke Ball for him anymore. It had gotten smashed in the warfare cause by Team Solace at the Pokemon League. Was my Charizard now susceptible to being captured by another Pokemon Trainer now?

Porygon-Z just did me and June a huge favor. But where was it now?

So many worries.

So many fears.

So many questions.

All filling my mind as June and I looked out the window from our seats, the plane leaving the shrinking airport behind as it ascended higher into the sky.

On our way to the Unova region.


	2. For Old Time's Sake Part 2 Of 3

A beautiful spread of sea stretched out beneath the plane I was in, June next to me, leaning close and gazing out the window. Several clouds blocked my view on occasion for a few seconds before my continuous view of water proceeded.

I leaned back against my seat and sighed, staring at the ceiling of the plane, my mind crowded with worrisome thoughts. I quickly stood up and glanced around, spotting several passengers in their seats eating lunch and having conversations with each other. A few of them turned to me and stared back, a few of them smiling, others giving me blank glances.

A couple of stewards were chatting together, laughing in a corner.

I sat back down and let out a weary sigh.

"Where do you think that thing is?" June asked cautiously.

I didn't like her tone. "Don't speak about it like that!" I said sharply. "I'm really worried. Porygon-Z hasn't shown up yet, and I have no clue as to where it went."

"I hope it's okay," June said in a quieter tone. "I do wish I knew where it was right now." She glanced around quickly, her eyes wide with fear.

"Will you get over your stupid fear?" I said angrily, glaring at her. Noticing how loud my voice was, I spoke my next words in a calmer tone, sensing that it was getting quieter on the plane, people paying attention to us now. "I'm not in the mood for your stupidity."

"It's not stupid!" June cried angrily. "That thing is damn well terrifying to me, okay? You don't like Bugs, and I don't like that Porygon-Z!"

"Okay, okay," I whispered, staring into her eyes, the silence on the plane completely noticeable now. "I'm just a little freaked out." I leaned back against my seat, staring up at the ceiling. "I don't want that thing running loose on the plane. Who knows what it could do?" I could feel June's stare on me, but I didn't turn to her.

"Round Crossways, Flight 646, is now preparing for landing," a man's voice, clear and smooth, came out through the speakers of the plane. "Passengers are required to stay seated and buckle their seatbelts as the plane prepares to land. We hope you enjoyed your time with Round Crossways and hope you'll be flying with us again."

I turned to June, worry in my eyes.

She glanced back, a concerned look in her eyes.

I wanted to say something, but I knew she knew what I was thinking.

She glanced around again, swallowing, and then turned back to me.

My eyes shut tight as cried out in pain and grabbed my head as it split down the middle, the plane shaking roughly, my ears popping continuously.

"PORYGON-Z!" I screamed, my hands cupped around my mouth. "PORYGON-Z!"

June was a fair distance away from me, looking around the inside of the airport with me.

"_PORYGON-Z!_" I yelled as loud as I could.

June and I had been searching the airport for my Pokemon for almost an hour after leaving the plane after our nearly four hour flight had ended and after my head had stopped feeling like an axe had its way with it, but our search turned up no results.

Where did it go? I wondered, scared. Where is my Pokemon? My Porygon-Z! _Where?_

June hadn't called out my Pokemon's name once, and I didn't ask her to do so. If she wasn't going to really make an effort to assist in the search, then fine. I wasn't in the mood to argue and yell at her over her ridiculous fear of my Pokemon. I just let her look for it while I continued to scream as loudly as I could, people looking at me and June curiously.

Why is this happening? Why is my Porygon-Z missing? Where did it go? I remembered the loud cry I had heard before being blinded by the flash of light, and the fact that the cry sounded exactly like Porygon-Z's cry. Porygon-Z definitely was the cause of the flash and the reason why June and I had been able to get on the plane to Unova. But after that, where did my friend go? "PORYGON-Z!" I bellowed loudly. A tap on my shoulder made me leap and turn around, my heart pounding in surprise.

"Excuse me, kid." A security officer in a black uniform was glaring down at me. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes!" I nodded. "I've lost my Pokemon. My Porygon-Z! I can't find it!"

"I see," he replied, his glare softening. "Well, we can assist you in finding it, but you can't run around here screaming at the top of your lungs like that."

"We're sorry, sir," June said, walking over to me.

He smiled and nodded. "Not to worry," he said. "We can check the security cameras to find your Pokemon. Where did you have the Pokemon last?"

I opened my mouth, but froze on my answer, realizing that I couldn't answer him honestly. The truth would be that I last saw it in the airport at Kanto. If those cameras were checked, it might reveal that my Porygon-Z had hacked the computer system. I swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. My mouth opened again and I just stared back at the man stupidly.

He waved his hand in my face, causing me to blink. "Hey! You alright?" he asked me.

I nodded. "I am. I'm…sorry." My eyes lowered to the ground.

"Do you remember where you last saw your Pokemon?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No," I murmured.  
"Well, what flight did you just come off of? We can check the cameras based on that," he offered.

I shook my head. "No. I…" My body started to shake as I tried to find a way out of this conversation. "I'm really sorry. I think I know where it went to. I'm sorry for causing such a raucous. We'll be okay. Please, excuse us, sir."

I turned away from the security officer and walked away quickly.

"Hold on!" the man called out. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I've wasted your time!" I said loudly, not turning back to him. "Everything's fine. I left it in cargo!" I picked up my pace, hearing footsteps following behind me.

June and I walked alongside each other for a while, silently, as I tried to find the way out. It seemed like we spent an hour pushing through crowds of people, walking by little stores, and taking escalators both up and down, repeatedly.

The entire time, I was holding back tears in my eyes. Finally, I saw the enormous glass door leading outside, crowds of people coming in and out of the building through the door.

It stood between sets of tall windows on either side of it where walls would be, stretching along the building.

I moved even quicker, and in another few minutes, I had pushed through crowds of people to finally get through the door and was finally standing outside.

What looked like hundreds of people were coming in and out of the airport building.

The sun shined brightly above as the late afternoon heat surrounded me. My back pressed against the window as I slid down to the ground and closed my eyes as I rested my head on my knees, wrapping my arms around them, and remained still. I didn't cry, but I felt distraught. Defeated. Devastated.

My Pokemon was missing after its help getting us into Unova. Why? Where did it go?

I could sense June sit down next to me and my eyebrows furrowed in anger as thoughts swirled around in my head.

"Gary, I know I'm not fond of Porygon-Z, but I really am concerned about where it is," June said with the tone of sincerity in her voice. "I want to find it."

I only had one answer in my mind for why Porygon-Z was missing. It was one that I didn't want to accept, but it was the only answer I had at this point. Porygon-Z would never just run away from me, no matter how stupid it acted, I thought angrily. Suddenly, I recalled when I had first sent out my Porygon-Z to introduce it to my team. It had run off and unintentionally scared a lady when it was trying to be friendly to her. Was it somewhere right now, scaring somebody unintentionally? How would I ever find it in this huge place? Why wasn't it on the plane? Was it still in Kanto?

June's hand landed on my shoulder and rubbed it gently.

I shrugged it off with an angry grunt and stayed in my sad position. I had runaway to Unova with June and five of her Pokemon, and ended up losing the only two Pokemon I had with me. Porygon-Z… I thought sadly, my eyes watering now. I hugged my knees even tighter and pressed my eyes against them until it hurt, but I didn't relieve myself of the pain. Charizard…

"You two kids alright?" a voice asked.

I held my tears back as I sniffled before looking up at a young man with a dark blonde color to his hair, hazel eyes with concern within them, and a warm smile.

He wore baggy brown pants and a brown vest over a black, long sleeved shirt, his feet in black boots that reached over his pants and stopped above his ankles. An Eevee sat on his right shoulder.

I squinted at the unfamiliar young man.

June didn't say a word, staring at the guy.

"Sorry if I'm intruding in on a bad moment," the man said. "I just noticed you two kids seemed rather down and thought I'd see if you were okay. I just dropped my wife off here. She's exploring the Johto Region for her boss."

The Eevee cried out happily and smiled down at June and I.

I looked down. "We're fine," I said shortly.

"Yeah," June quickly agreed. "That's a beautiful Eevee you have there."

"Thank you very much!" the man replied happily.

"I own an Eevee, too!" June said, her voice getting more excited. "She's so special to me!"

"That's really great! I own most of his evolutions, as well. I've raised all the known evolutions at some point in my life, though some of my friends have passed on. This here Eevee is the newest one that hatched about one month ago. Who knows what he'll evolve into!"

"I'm sorry to hear that about your other Pokemon, but it is nice that you have this new little cutie. I want to evolve my Eevee someday, too!" June exclaimed.

"Oh? Into what?"

June giggled. "That's a little secret of mine!"

The man laughed in a gentle voice. "Well, that's fair enough for me. If you don't mind me asking, what are you two kids doing here?"

I looked up at the man.

He had been staring at June, but once I moved, he turned to me, his smile fading slightly.

June didn't speak.

The man looked back and forth between us, and his smile broadened. "Well, no need to tell me if you don't want to," he said with a small chuckle. "I'll be on my way, then."  
"Wait!" June called out as the guy turned his back to us, making him stop. June stood up and took a step towards the guy. "To be honest, we're kind of…visiting the Unova Region, but we don't know where to go from here!" June explained.

The guy turned around and smiled. "Is that so? Well, Unova is pretty big. There's so much to see! Where are you guys coming from?"

"The Kanto Region," June told him.

"Ah, Kanto," the man sighed, maintaining his warm smile. "What a beautiful area. I've been there only once, about a decade ago, but I'd like to go back sometime soon. Unova is quite a different atmosphere, but very easy to love. Since you have Pokemon, perhaps the best place for you to start your tour is by speaking to the expert on Pokemon in this region; Professor Juniper!"

"_Professor Juniper?!_" June screeched.

"That's right. Professor Juniper. That's who my wife works for. Why not-"

"PROFESSOR JUNIPER! OH MY GOOOOOSH!" June shrieked. "_WE'RE IN THE UNOVA REGION!_"

I stared at June in shock, confused by her sudden outburst.

"Um…" the man said. "Why, yes. You are indeed in Unova." He gave a light chuckle.

"I just realized this is the region of the amazing, astounding, fantastic, mind blowing Prof. Juniper!" June shouted loudly.

"Prof. Juniper," I muttered, the name ringing a bell.

"Sounds like it's settled, then," the stranger said gently. "If you're willing, I'll happily drop you all off at Prof. Juniper's Lab."

Who is this guy? I thought to myself.

"YES!" June yelled, jumping in the air excitedly. "PLEASE! PROFESSOR JUNIPER!" Her eyes were glistening like gems, her hands clasped together, looking at this young man as if he were made of gold.

The man laughed and pointed at a dark brown minivan parked several feet away from us. "Well, let's get in and I'll happily take you guys there." He walked towards it and opened the door to the driver's seat, turning back to us with a welcoming smile.

June ran up to the minivan and turned back to me. "Come on!" she cried out happily, impatiently.

I stood up and stared at this mystery man as I walked over to his vehicle. "Who…are you?" I asked suspiciously.

The man laughed loudly, bending over, holding his sides. He wiped at his eyes. "Oh, my."

June looked at me, her face getting a little bit red. Perhaps she was embarrassed at being so eager to leap into a stranger's car.

That's what I had hoped, at least.

The man stood up straight, puffing out his chest, bouncing on the toes of his black boots once. "My name is Virgil."

"You're a stranger to me," I replied. "My mom always said to beware of strangers."

June suddenly gasped. "WAIT!"

All eyes turned to June.

"YOU! I KNOW YOU!" June screamed shrilly. "YOU _ARE _FAMILIAR TO ME!"

"I am?" the man claiming to be named Virgil, asked.

"YEAH!" June responded. "You're the cutest winner of the Unova League, like, _EVER!_ You are definitely him!"

Virgil's face flushed a deep red as he stared at June. "Wow. Well, thank you," he mumbled, embarrassed, looking at the ground, smirking.

"I want to meet Prof. Juniper!" June said with joy. "Please! Virgil! Take us there!"

"I'd be glad to," Virgil said, smiling at June, and then he turned to me. "Will you accompany us?"

I stared at the happiness on June's face.

June was clapping her hands, her eyes closed, bouncing on her feet in a pure thrill. She seemed to recognize Virgil, and seemed excited to meet this Prof. Juniper.

The name Virgil wasn't familiar to me at all, but neither was this region I was now stuck in. There also wasn't really a plan on what June and I would be doing in Unova. All of these things considered, I felt like I had no choice but to trust in June's enthusiasm and, hesitantly, I agreed. "Okay," I sighed, and approached his minivan, opening one of the side doors and cautiously stepping inside.

June hopped into the passenger seat and Virgil got behind the wheel, opening the four windows a little bit.

I gazed out of the door at the airport building for a moment.

"Is everything okay?" I heard Virgil ask.

I didn't respond. Where did you go? I questioned sadly, before slowly closing the door. I kept my eyes out the window, waiting for Porygon-Z to show up at the last second.

"Buckle up," Virgil said in a friendly voice.

I absentmindedly grabbed the seatbelt and snapped it into place around me.

The vehicle began to move forward, and within a few minutes, I was looking out the back window at the airport as it slowly began to fade from my view. A smooth turn to the right, and the building was completely gone.

I turned around and sighed, looking at my feet.

"Hey!" Virgil called out.

I looked up quickly.

Virgil was looking at me through the rearview mirror, smiling. "What are your names? I never got them."

"I'm June!" June said quickly, and then turned back to me with a caring smile. "This is my friend, Gary."

"Nice to meet you both," Virgil nodded. "I think you'll both enjoy the Unova Region. Wow. Kanto. If you don't mind me asking, where were you guys during that bombing at the Indigo Plateau a couple of years ago?"

June and I exchanged glances. The silence was lasting too long, but neither of us spoke.

I wasn't sure what to say.

Virgil stopped at a stoplight and glanced at the rearview mirror again, staring at me, and then turned to June. "I'm sorry if that was a sensitive question. What matters is that you're both okay. Such a terrible time that must have been." The vehicle moved forward again when the light turned green.

The ride was smooth and made me feel comfortable. Drowsiness was sinking in, my eyelids getting heavy, but I wouldn't let myself fall asleep and I kept my eyes open.

I was in a completely new region, had attacked Prof. Oak, and was missing two of my Pokemon. I felt like some kind of fugitive. In reality, I guess I was.

The environment in this area had a noticeably different feel than I was used to. We drove by a lot of concrete. Buildings. Sidewalks. Streets. Even the air seemed different. Heavier, perhaps. It felt busier in this region. Kids ran around without a parent in sight, chasing each other. Groups of men in suits strolled by, laughing about their conversations. Skyscrapers lined one block we drove by. Cars alongside and all around the one I was in, slowing down the pace of our trip, created a lot of noise with the constant honking of horns.

All of this grabbed my attention. I wasn't used to so much… congestion!

An airplane flew overhead, seeming to be flying sideways, keeping up with Virgil's driving, but once he stopped at a light, the visual effect ended, and the plane flew straight, disappearing over a building in seconds.

"Enjoying the sights?" Virgil asked.

"Yeah! This is so much more…_city_ that I'm used to!" June said. "Kanto is quite different than here."

"Yes, I agree," Virgil replied. "We do have our green places, too. In fact, once we get closer to the lab, you'll be seeing some Pokemon in the nearby woods."

Eevee cried out happily in Virgil's lap, his head out the window, his tail wagging slowly.

"Your Eevee is such a doll!" June gushed.

"Thank you," Virgil smiled.

Eevee turned to June and cried out cutely before looking out the window again, his tail wagging even faster.

"You're so kind to be taking us to Miss Aurea Juniper herself!"June squealed.

Virgil laughed. "You seem to be quite a fan of hers."

"How couldn't I be? She's a strong woman in the field of Pokemon research and is just, like, an _idol!_"

Virgil nodded, smiling, his eyes on the road. "I couldn't agree more. She's quite knowledgeable. I can't wait to see her again, someday. I have to get back to work as soon as I drop you off, so I won't be able to stop by and greet the professor. I don't get a lot of time to just travel around."

"Oh! Are we holding you up? I don't want to make you late!"

"No, no. Don't worry about that. I'll make it in time. I have a couple of minutes. I'm glad to have a moment to just drive around. Working for the Pokemon Rescue Squad is hard work."

"Pokemon Rescue Squad?" I asked in a low voice, looking at him.

We were now driving past many houses in a beautiful neighborhood. It wasn't filled with the city feel of where we had just been. It was quiet and peaceful, but, somehow, it still had a lot more of a cluttered feeling compared to similar places in Kanto.

"Yes. I work for the Pokemon Rescue Squad. We report to various incidents, such as problems with Pokemon, or natural disasters, big or small. We have many different teams, and my team is Team Eevee."

"Oh," was all I muttered, looking around at the houses, my mind still on my Porygon-Z.

"Wow! A whole team full of Eevee?" June squealed with joy.

"No, no," Virgil laughed. "It's a team with the evolutions of Eevee, and also this little one." Virgil rubbed his Eevee's head, and he turned around with a happy cry and closed his eyes, enjoying the rub.

"Oh! So your battle at the Pokemon League was with Team Eevee?" June asked.

"That's right," Virgil nodded. "After our victory, we tried to further our journey by challenging the Elite Four, but we didn't get far at all. It took us months to even locate a member of the Elite Four, and then to have lost so horribly to Caitlyn. She completely chewed through us. Afterwards, she was rather upset we had disturbed her sleep for such a weak battle, and then she went inside of some kind of flower cocoon or something which wrapped around her and drifted away into the sky. Strange girl, but strong as the warning of the wrath of a woman scorned. Team Eevee and I have a lot more work to do before I can even think about becoming a Pokemon Master." He gazed down briefly, lovingly, at his Eevee before looking back up at the road.

We were now curving around a bend, woods surrounding the path.

Several strange Pokemon looked at us before running off. One looked like a beaver. A couple of others resembled small fawn, and were orange. A pair of large deer with cream fur on their chests and limbs watched us, their antlers holding red and brown leaves on them. Glancing up into the trees, I saw several Pokemon resembling gray birds, resting on tree branches. I had never seen such Pokemon before. A sharp curve drove us alongside a huge lake, where enormous swan looking Pokemon turned to stare at us, some flapping their beautiful, snow white wings and flying into the air, causing the entire flock to follow suit.

Wow, those things are really beautiful, I thought, mesmerized. I don't know if I've ever seen a more beautiful Pokemon in my entire life!

The wonderful view of trees and Pokemon in their natural habitat was interrupted as we soon found ourselves in another city, driving by crowded sidewalks and a few cars rolling by us quickly.

"This is Nuvema Town," Virgil told us. "Our trip will have to end shortly, but I'll drop you off right in front of the lab."

"Thank you so much," June told Virgil. "Your hospitality was just wonderful! We're so appreciative."

I nodded. "Yes. Thanks a lot."

An enormous building soon came into view.

Virgil drove past a short, circular stone structure that sat right in front of the building, and with a sharp turn, stopped his car. "This is Prof. Juniper's lab."

"Thanks again," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and reaching out to shake his hand.

He grabbed my hand strongly and shook it.

June leaned forward and hugged Virgil, and he hugged her back. "It was such an honor!" June said. She released Virgil and rubbed Eevee's head, making Eevee cry out joyously and wag his tail. "Take care, sweetheart!"

We got out of Virgil's minivan and he waved at us. "Tell Professor Juniper I said hello. And enjoy your stay here!" He quickly drove off.

"He sure was nice, huh?" June asked.

I didn't answer her and just watched as Virgil drove away before turning to her. "So, now what?"

"What do you mean? We go see Professor Juniper, duh!" June answered, crossing her arms.

"June, are you mad? What are we going to see her for? We don't even belong here! What is the point of coming here? This whole thing was a mistake. We shouldn't have done it. We're probably in huge trouble right now and I've lost my Pokemon! This woman surely knows Prof. Oak. We probably have a warrant out for our arrest!"

"Maybe you and Porygon-Z do, but I don't. I didn't do anything."

"You're an accomplice."

June had a worried look on her face. "Oh, stop worrying. If anything, it's your Pokemon's fault. And now it's missing. We're innocent. Now let's meet Professor Juniper!"

Before I could argue any further, she grabbed my hand tightly and yanked me forward, running towards the building before us.

What looked like a battlefield outlined in white chalk sat in a large area of ground right in front of the lab.

June reached the front of the building and the electronic glass doors slid open immediately, so she pulled me after her as she stepped inside.

The inside of the building was huge, the brown ceramic floor looking freshly polished, the white walls looking freshly painted, and a few closed doors leading to unknown places.

A metal cart stood near a woman with long, brown hair reaching down past her shoulders. Two large, wooden trays and a smaller wooden tray sat on the metal cart.

The woman looked at me and June with surprise.

My eyes focused on the woman and widened.

The woman wore a short, black skirt and a white tank top tucked into the skirt, a white lab coat around her shoulders, standing in blue heels.

I felt a little bit weak in her presence suddenly.

June stepped forward and squinted at the woman.

"Hello," she greeted us with a smile. "I was expecting two female trainers here today. Perhaps I'm mistaken?"

My eyes continued to scan this woman up and down repeatedly, my mind spinning, my heart beating, my body shaking. Whoever this lady was, I was taken by her.

She was stunning. The way her heels made the rest of her legs look, along with making her appear taller. The smooth look her skin. The glow her body gave off. The shape of her body. Her-

A loud shriek destroyed the rest of my mesmerized thoughts and I jumped, looking at June in surprise.

June ran up to the woman in a flash and grabbed her hands, pressing them against her face as she closed her eyes, smiling in a ditzy daze. She rubbed her face against the woman's hands and sighed, and then pulled them away and sniffed them hard. "Prof. Juniper! It's really you!"

Professor Juniper stared down at June in complete shock, her mouth hanging open.

June released Prof. Juniper's hands and wrapped her arms around her waist, squeezing her hard. "Miss Aurea. Miss Juniper. Prof. Juniper. I can't believe this moment has actually arrived! I never thought it'd happen. My honor. My love. My dearest dear of loves! I thought I was blessed to have met Prof. Oak, but to think I'd take an even more advanced step in my life's goals and meet Prof. Juniper, too! This is beyond comprehension! Beyond deserving! I deserve to die tonight, having fulfilled such an unworthy achievement! My Juniper! My Professor!" She shrieked loudly again.

I shook my head and ran up to June. "Let go of her!" I shouted at June. "What is _wrong_ with you?" I grabbed June by her shoulders and tugged her back, hard.

"NOOOOOOOO!" June screamed, refusing to let go of the professor. "GET OFF OF ME!"

"What's going on here?" Prof. Juniper cried out in confusion.

"Prof. Juniper, I'm sorry," I told her, struggling to pull June off of the woman. "She's retarded or something. June, I said to get _off!_"

"But she smells so _goooooooooood!_" June pleaded.

"June, you idiot!" I yelled angrily, embarrassed by her behavior.

I heard the electronic doors open and I turned around to see who had entered, still holding onto June.

June turned around, still clinging to Prof. Juniper.

Prof. Juniper looked up and sighed with a weary smile. "Are you two the girls I was expecting?"

I released June and faced to the two girls.

One of the girls was wearing cream colored sneakers and a white dress, her long, brown hair reaching far down her back. Her dark eyes had a warm, alluring twinkle to them. She had a large, red backpack on her back.

The other girl had on white sneakers, dark blue shorts, and a light blue shirt. Her black hair reached past her shoulders, a black bow on the right side of her head, and she wore a winning smile, an epicanthal fold to her black eyes. She was carrying a large, baby blue backpack on her back.

For some reason, my heart began to hurt as it beat hard into my chest as I stared at this girl in shorts.

"Are we interrupting something?" the girl in the dress asked, staring at us in shock.

Prof. Juniper laughed. "Possibly. If so, that might be a good thing."

June immediately blushed and let go of Prof. Juniper, keeping her stare on the ground. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"I can come back later, if you need," the girl in the dress offered. "Like, tomorrow, even."

"No! No! You two are here for your Starter Pokemon, right?" Prof. Juniper exclaimed, stepping towards them.

"Yes!" the girl in shorts said, stepping up to the professor eagerly, smiling.

"Wow…" I whispered, my eyes glued to the girl in shorts.

There was no denying it. I had no chance to get with Prof. Juniper, but this girl was about my age, and a realistic goal. But could I just walk up to her and ask her out? No. I knew I didn't have the courage. She was just too gorgeous. There was no chance. Just looking at her, I was unsure of my own existence. Nothing made sense. Nothing was real. It was just me and her in a white room. Nothing else.

"I'm Ella," the girl in shorts greeted Prof. Juniper, shaking her hand.

"Ella…" I repeated quietly, staring at her.

"And I'm Trixa," the girl in the dress introduced herself, stepping up and shaking Prof. Juniper's hand.

Ella smiled and turned around, our eyes meeting.

My mouth opened in shock and I couldn't breathe, my eyes darting around nervously before returning to hers.

She was still staring at me. She smiled and I could feel myself starting to melt at once.

I managed to smile back.

She stepped up to me and extended her hand. "Who are you? Are you both getting your Starter Pokemon, too?"

I grabbed her hand gently and shook it, and my hand slid right off in about a second. Embarrassed that I may have let go too soon and it might be taken rudely, I reached out again and she shook my hand a second time, laughing.

I took a large step back as I released her hand, my face getting extremely hot now.

Ella shook June's hand.

"I'm June, and this is Gary. And, no, we're not here for a Starter," June answered, making me realize I had completely forgotten about Ella's questions. "We traveled here from Kanto for a little visit."

"Oh! So you two are boyfriend and girlfriend?" Ella asked with a smile, looking at me.

"_NO!_" I screamed out, stepping forward.

Ella stared at me in surprise, her beautiful eyes wide.

June, Prof. Juniper, and Trixa stared at me with the same look.

"I mean, no," I said quietly, looking down.

"Oh. Well, you two would make cute couple," Ella commented, winking at me. "You both are traveling from different regions together already! Seems like love might be in the air."

"NO! No!" I said frantically. "We're just friends! I haven't even known her that long! This is just a huge misunderstanding!" I smiled and laughed nervously.

June squinted her eyes at me and I could feel a coldness surround my body suddenly.

Ella laughed. "Well, you seemed pretty close when we got here. You were holding her from behind!"

"No, no, no! I was restraining her from bothering Prof. Juniper!"

"Aahhh. I do remember she was holding Prof. Juniper pretty closely, too!" Ella giggled. "I wish me and my boyfriend could travel around the world like you two do, but he doesn't want to be a Pokemon Trainer. So, I'm going off on my own."

Glass shattered from inside of my body as my heart dropped down, down, down in a million and one pieces into a dark, deep area within me. "Boyfriend…?" I croaked out.

Ella nodded, still smiling. "He's so sweet to me. I love him to death. I wish he would accompany me on my journey, but he just isn't into Pokemon so much." She looked down at the ground in dismay.

What a stupid jerk, I thought. I'd follow you around the planet on foot, several times over, without rest, for the rest of my life! He doesn't deserve you. That worthless-

"Well, since we have our two trainers here, how about I show you your options?" Prof. Juniper suggested. She walked over to the cart and stood by the three trays.

I could see that the larger trays contained five Poke Balls, a thick, blue and yellow box, and a thin, pink box, in each of them. The smaller tray only contained three Poke Balls.

Prof. Juniper grabbed one of the Poke Balls from the smaller tray and tossed it into the air.

A white beam shot out and a green, snakelike creature looked up at us, its hands on its sides, and confidently exclaimed its name.

"This one is a Snivy, the Grass type Starter!" Prof. Juniper introduced it. She threw the second Poke Ball. "And this is Tepig, the Fire type!"

A red and black pig Pokemon landed on the ground, grunted, and squealed fire from its snout.

"And finally, the Water type, Oshawott."

Oshawott stood tall, grabbed its scalchop that sat on its stomach, and swung it around strongly.

"So, who will go first?" Prof. Juniper smiled.

"I WANT TEPIG!" Trixa screamed.

"I WANT SNIVY!" Ella shouted at the same time.

Tepig squealed with excitement and leaped into the air.

Snivy closed its eyes as it nodded and crossed its arms, smiling. "Snivy," it said cooly.

Oshawott dropped its scalchop and looked up at the two young girls in shock. Angrily, it picked up its scalchop, dusted it off, and placed it back on its belly before angrily crossing its arms and turning its back on us.

Prof. Juniper laughed lightly and returned Oshawott to its Poke Ball. "Sorry, Oshawott." She slipped Oshawott's Poke Ball into her lab coat pocket and then took the two large trays over to Trixa and Ella. "These are your five Poke Balls. Use them wisely to capture Pokemon."

Ella and Trixa grabbed their Poke Balls from the tray, also taking their Pokemon's Poke Ball from Prof. Juniper.

"Use the Pokedex to record captured and seen Pokemon on your journey. It also doubles as your ID."

Both trainers took a pink box and opened them, turning it to their individual Pokemon.

_**Snivy. The Grass Snake Pokemon. One of the Unova Region Starter Pokemon, it is very fast and often described as prideful.**_

_**Tepig. The Fire Pig Pokemon. One of the Unova Region Starters. This Pokemon is very nimble and can dodge attacks with ease.**_

The trainers then decided to scan each other's Pokemon.

_**Tepig. The Fire Pig Pokemon. A Starter Pokemon from Unova. This Pokemon will wag its tail when happy, and exhale smoke instead of flames whenever sick.**_

_**Snivy. The Grass Snake Pokemon and a Starter Pokemon of Unova. This is a very smart Pokemon and it remains cool under intense circumstances.**_

"Awww, look at them, Gary!" June cried out, kneeling close to Snivy. "Aren't they so cute? She looks so strong! And this Tepig looks so soft! Can I hug him?" June looked up eagerly at Trixa.

"Him?" Trixa responded.

"Her?" Ella asked.

June smiled and nodded. "Yes. Tepig is a male, and Snivy is female."  
"How do you know that?" Prof. Juniper asked, stepping up to June, squinting down at Snivy and Tepig.

June lifted up Tepig and squeezed him in her arms until he happily squealed, and then set him down. She rubbed Snivy's head and kept her eyes on her, causing Snivy to smile as she closed her eyes. "I have an ability to read Pokemon. I can communicate with them and understand them."

"Really?" Prof. Juniper smiled.

June nodded, not taking her eyes off of Snivy. "I can tell a lot about Pokemon just by looking at them."

"It's true," I chimed in. "There's no denying it. I've known her long enough to confirm this."

"That would sure be useful in experiments here in the lab," Prof. Juniper said thoughtfully.

June vanished from Snivy, and Snivy looked up in confusion.

In the next second, June was in front of Prof. Juniper's face, their noses practically touching.

Prof. Juniper gasped in surprise.

June had a psychotic glint in her eyes and a disturbing smile on her face. "Does that mean you want me to work for you? I'll do it for free! I'll live in the lab! I'll do anything and everything and whatever and all things you say! _I'LL DO IT!_"

Prof. Juniper nervously laughed, taking a deep, long stretch of a step back from June, but June instantly took a step forward, keeping in the professor's face.

"Come on!" I scolded, and pulled her back. "She has an assistant already. Virgil's wife. Remember?"  
"Oh! You've met Virgil?" Prof. Juniper said to me.

"Yeah. We met him when we got out of the airport, and he suggested our first trip in Unova be to meet you," I informed her. "He actually drove us here, but was really busy and had to go. But he said hello."

"Yes. That young man is always off somewhere with Team Eevee. It's kind of him to have driven you two out here. I'm sorry you couldn't meet Bianca. She just left to do some research for me in the Johto Region."

"Bianca? Is that Virgil's wife?" I asked.

"Yes!" Prof. Juniper answered. "By the way, do you both know Prof. Oak? He's a good friend of mine. I should call him at some point later today."

I nodded. Yeah, much later. Like after June and I are far away from here, I thought. Just great. Now, Prof. Oak will know where June and I went for sure.

June kept her eyes on the ground, but didn't say anything.

"Oh, and here is your Town Map!" Prof. Juniper said, still holding out the trays to Trixa and Ella.

They both grabbed a blue and yellow box.

"Originally, another girl was going to be obtaining a Pokemon, as well, but at the last minute, she wasn't able to be a part of this," Prof. Juniper said sadly to June and I. "So, I do have an extra Town Map if you two need one."

"Um…" I thought about it. "If you just have one lying around, sure!"

"I do! Hold on and I'll get it!" Prof. Juniper walked away, disappearing behind one of the doors.

I turned around to find Ella staring directly at me, causing me to shyly look down and avoid her glance, and I found myself staring at her Snivy. "You made a great choice with Snivy. She's nice."

"Thanks a lot, Gary. You're really sweet," Ella said. "Do you own any Pokemon?"

I hesitated before answering. "I own a few back in Pallet Town."

"What's Pallet Town like?" Ella asked.

"It's nice. Quiet. It's a bit different than here, but Unova is very nice as well. Just different."

I turned as a humming noise grabbed my attention and saw Trixa kneeling down by her Tepig, lifting the upper half of his body and making him dance to a strange tune she was humming.

Tepig looked confused by this and stared up at Trixa in confusion.

I turned to Ella and June, who both were watching Trixa, confusion on their faces.

"Um, Trixa?" Ella called out to her.

Trixa didn't respond, but continued making her Tepig dance as she hummed.

"Trixa?" Ella tried again, louder.

Trixa released Tepig and Tepig landed on his front legs. She turned to Ella and stood up. "Yes?" she said with a smile, her eyes seeming distant and in another place.

"How about a Pokemon battle?" Ella asked, raising a fist in excitement. "Tepig versus Snivy."

"Oh! Well, I dunno…" Trixa said, lowering her eyes.

"Oh, come on! Let's use them, fresh out the Poke Ball, and see which is stronger!"

Trixa sighed. "I guess…"

"If you don't want to, we don't have to," Ella said with disappointment.

The door Prof. Juniper went through opened and the professor stepped out holding an electronic Town Map in her hand. She reached me and handed me the box.

I opened it and it made a beep, whirring mechanically. I could see the entire Unova Region within it. I touched the touch screen and played around with it for a while. "Wow! With this thing, we'll have no problems reaching new places! This is amazing!"

"It can tell you about new events happening in towns and cities, it acts as a compass, can tell wind direction, has turn by turn navigation, and is just about the most useful bit of technology a Pokemon Trainer or anyone in general could have on a journey!" Prof. Juniper said.

"Yeah! Thanks a bunch, professor!" I said.

"Not a problem," she said happily. "Oh!"

June took Professor Juniper by surprise as she appeared in front of her face again and cocked her head to the side. For a moment, I thought June was about to plant a kiss on the professor's lips! "Miss Professor Aurea Juniper, ma'am? The last time I saw a photo of you, I'm certain your hair was piled on top of your head in a bun! Is this new?" She reached up and gently grabbed Prof. Juniper's long hair in each hand, feeling it tenderly as it were made of the finest glass, gazing at it as if it were made from a rare, expensive diamond.

Prof. Juniper looked very creeped out as she slowly nodded, eyeing June. "Why, yes. I thought a new hairstyle was necessary. I changed it a few months ago, actually. Do…you…like it?"

June released the professor's hair and pulled her into a hug, burying her face into her chest as Prof. Juniper cried out in shock from the attack. June released her and backed up, clapping happily. "_Love iiiiiit!_" June cried excitedly.

Prof. Juniper fixed her hair with her hands and laughed uncomfortably. "I'm happy to hear that."

"Professor, should Ella and I battle now?" Trixa asked. "Or is it better to wait until our Pokemon are more experienced so we can show our Pokemon's skills based on how we raised them, as opposed to how they are right now?"

"Hmm," Prof. Juniper responded with a smile, gazing at Trixa. "What a deep way to consider that. Personally, I say you should battle now. See how you mend with your Pokemon and get an understanding of the personality, characteristics, and skills of what you have chosen before working with your Pokemon alone. You can then spot and work on any faults and deepen your bond as you travel from here, battling wild Pokemon and other trainers. The next time you two battle, it'll be a true test of your skills as trainers and a display of the bond you've both built with your Pokemon. That's just my opinion, of course."

June sighed dreamily as she gazed lovingly at Prof. Juniper, taken by her words.

Prof. Juniper's eyes widened as she gazed back at June, cautiously.

I extended my arm as a barricade in front of June, just in case she got too crazy and tried to fondle the professor again.

Trixa nodded and turned to Tepig. "Tepig, are you ready for our first battle?"

Tepig cocked his head, staring at Trixa. "Tepig?"

"Then how about we all step out to the battlefield?" Prof. Juniper suggested, and led the way out of her lab.

We all followed her to the battlefield outside, and Ella and Trixa stood in opposite places within it.

June and I stood off to the side of the battlefield, next to Prof. Juniper. I had tried to stand in between June and the professor, not wanting June to bother her, but June blatantly nudged me out of the way and stood in between the professor and I without giving me a glance, staring at the battlefield.

"Good luck, Ella!" I called out, smiling.

Ella turned to me and smiled dazzlingly.

I suddenly realized how awkward my words were and turned to Trixa. "Um, good luck, Trixa," I said, instantly embarrassed that I sounded so obviously less excited.

Trixa didn't pay me any mind. She looked down at her Tepig by her side and nodded.

Tepig squealed and walked forward.

"Snivy! Go!" Ella shouted, and Snivy ran forward to her position.

"This will be a one-on-one match with a five minute time limit!" Prof. Juniper declared.

"Five minutes? Why?" I asked her.

She turned to me with a smile. "This is just a test match. If it lasts longer than five minutes, it should just be stopped at that point. These are brand new Pokemon, after all. Five minutes is long enough for the Trainer and their Pokemon to feel each other out."

"I see," I agreed, nodding.

"Professor Juniper's mind is like no other!" June gushed, her eyes literally tearing with delight as she looked up into the sunny sky above, her hands clasped together.

I shook my head slowly, staring at June warily.

Professor Juniper blushed, staring at June, smiling, before quickly turning back to the battle waiting to start. "Begin!" she said loudly.

"Snivy! Leer!"

"Tepig! Tackle attack!"


	3. For Old Time's Sake Part 3 Of 3

"Tepig!" Tepig cried out, eyes wide, and he ran forward, charging at Snivy.

"Snivy!" Snivy yelled, and she glared at Tepig as her eyes glowed red.

Tepig skid to a stop and stared at Snivy in fear.

"Tepig! What's wrong?" Trixa gasped in shock.

"Use Leer again!" Ella demanded.

Snivy took a determined step forward, her eyes still glowing red, and Tepig grunted frantically, backing up several feet, a terrified look on his face.

"Again!" Ella ordered.

"Tepig! What's going on?" Trixa pleaded. "Don't be afraid! Please! I don't understand!"

Snivy advanced on Tepig, and Tepig was running backwards until he ran into Trixa's feet, scared of Snivy.

Trixa knelt down and held Tepig in her hands from behind. "Tepig! What's going on? Is Leer like Psychic attack? Is it forcing you back? Is it taking control of your body's movements?"

"No!" Prof. Juniper called out. "Leer lowers the Defense of the opponent, making Physical moves hurt more. It gives the opponent an intimidating stare and sometimes causes a fearful reaction."

"Is that all?" Trixa smiled. "Come on, Tepig! Don't be so scared! Go!" She gave Tepig a happy shove forward, and Tepig stumbled forward, running into Snivy.

Tepig was on top of Snivy, Snivy struggling to get out from under Tepig before finally shoving him off of her.

"Snivy!" Snivy stood up and dusted herself off, frowning.

Tepig got up and let out a snort of fire from his nostrils.

"Tepig! Fight back with Flamethrower, now!" Trixa ordered.

Tepig squealed loudly and glared furiously at Snivy, but he didn't attack.

"Flamethrower?" I muttered.

"What's wrong now?" Trixa cried out desperately.

Ella pulled out her Pokedex and stared at it.

"Tepig is too young to know how to use that move, Trixa," Prof. Juniper explained to Trixa.

"Oh, just great!" Trixa cried out with disappointment, dropping to her knees.

"Snivy, use Tackle!" Ella said, looking up from her Pokedex.

"Snivy!" Snivy moved in a flash, tackling Tepig.

Tepig grunted in pain and bounced along the ground.

"Tepig! No! Are you okay?" Trixa asked with worry as she stood back up.

"Finish it off with your Vine Whip attack!"

Vines rose from Snivy's shoulders and flew out at Tepig, who was struggling to get up.

"_Tepiiiig!_" Trixa screamed, covering her eyes.

"Tepig!" Tepig stood up and with a squeal, leaped over the vines, charging at Snivy.

"Catch it, Snivy!" Ella said in shock.

Snivy looked at Tepig in surprise, and then frowned, using her vines to try to catch Tepig.

"Hey! Why can your Snivy do its type move, but not mine?" Trixa asked with disappointment.

"Flamethrower is a more advanced move than the basic Vine Whip, Trixa," Ella said, crossing her arms impatiently. "These Pokemon aren't _that_ high leveled yet!"

"Well, that's not fair!" Trixa said angrily. "Tepig, keep going and use Fire Blast!"

I lost my balance and fell to the ground. "Is she serious right now?" I asked in shock.

Ella raised a palm to her forehead, shaking her head. "Fire Blast is even _more_ advanced!"

"Really?" Trixa gasped, looking down at Tepig.

Tepig leaped into the air, dodging more vines, and opened his mouth, but only a small fireball flew out.

Snivy swiftly leaped into the air, avoiding the fireball, and her vines flew out again, smacking Tepig in the face while he was still in the air.

Tepig screamed out in pain as he fell down.

Snivy landed a few feet away.

Tepig grunted hard, pushing himself up, but then fell back down. His eyes opened as he looked at Snivy angrily, exhausted.

"Finish it off, Snivy! Tackle attack!"

"Enough! Time is up!" Prof. Juniper stated, raising a hand and stepping into the middle of the battle. She smiled at Ella, Trixa, and their Pokemon. "You both did very well. I think you now have a bit of battling experience and know what to work on."

"Tepig…" Trixa knelt down beside her Pokemon and rubbed his head.

Tepig looked down, a depressed, defeated look on his face, and grunted sadly.

"Now that was a good match!" Ella said to her Snivy while on her knees.

"Snivy!" Snivy replied proudly, looking up at Ella.

"It's a pleasure to have you on my team. Come on back!" Ella returned her Snivy to her Poke Ball and stood up, walking over to Trixa. "Trixa, honey, you've got to learn the basics of Pokemon battling." She smiled and reached a hand down to her, helping her to her feet. "Your head is always in the clouds. This is a direct cause of you not paying attention during the times we were studying together. You were always getting distracted or just not caring." She held up her Pokedex. "Even the Pokedex would have told you Tepig's moves. I checked to see what moves my Snivy had, too. You have got to try harder if you really want to take this seriously. I bet you could have won if you had been more focused."

Trixa nodded and looked down at her Tepig. "Tepig, I'm really sorry. I goofed up and cost us the match." She bent over and picked up her Pokemon. "Are you alright?"

Tepig looked down sadly, avoiding contact with his trainer's eyes.

Trixa hugged Tepig close and kissed his cheek.

Tepig looked up and managed a small smile.  
Trixa sighed and turned to Ella. "I'm sorry for that awful battle, Ella. But, I hope that next time, I'll be much more wise about how I battle."

Ella smiled and pulled Trixa into a hug. "Hey, don't be so down. It was an honest mistake. But I definitely do expect better from you next time. We've got to make it to the Pokemon League, right?"

"Right!" Trixa agreed as Ella let go of her.

"And we've got to hurry," Ella added. "It's already nearly the end of Autumn. It will be Winter in no time. The Pokemon League begins at the end of the Summer."

"Oh, wow! Is that not enough time to make it?" Trixa asked.

"Depends on how fast you get your eight badges," Ella winked. She turned to me, making my heart stop and then kick into overdrive. "So where are you headed to from here?"

I slowly stood up and dusted off my clothes, returning my eyes back to her flawless face. "Um. Well. I mean. Huh? Well. Um. Yeah. I…" I couldn't find a way to answer her, and the more time I took, the more dumb I knew I was looking, all the while, lost in the beauty contained in her face.

"Gary will be competing in the Pokemon League, too!" June said cheerfully, placing her arm around my shoulders, beaming.

"_Huh?!_" I stared at June in shock.

She smiled back.

"Are you serious? Really?" Ella smiled beautifully at me, excitement on her face.

"Well, I mean, what better way than to explore the Unova Region?" I said slowly, shrugging my shoulders, smiling nervously.

"That is great to hear! You already own some Pokemon from Kanto, right?"

I nodded slowly, my heart beating even quicker. "Yes. I do."

"Can I see them? I've never seen Kanto Pokemon in person before!"

"Um… I don't really have them with me right now. They're still at Prof. Oak's place. I can get them later on when I'm ready. Right now, I'm kind of just getting the feel of Unova." That sounded good, I told myself.

"Well, how about we call up Prof. Oak right now?" Prof. Juniper suggested. "It'll be good to hear from him again and we can have your Pokemon transferred here!"

"No, really, that's not necessary!" I replied quickly. "I'm not even fully sure I want to compete!"

"What?" Ella said sadly.

"I mean, I'm sure I will, but I'm really loving this city feel and want to check out the sights first and relax. June and I just got here. I could use a nice walk to the next town or something, and from there I'll get my Pokemon. No rush." I laughed nervously.

"Okay, then," Prof. Juniper laughed. "I'll call him a little later and tell him I met you. Gary, right?"

No, Jeffrey, Antonio, Pete, Darren, Tyson, I thought up desperately. With a sigh, I nodded. "Yes. Gary."

"The same name as his grandson, Prof. Oak," Prof. Juniper nodded. "That'll be easy to remember. I guess I should get you a Pokedex."

I shook my head. "No, I have one from Kanto." I pulled it out to show her.

"That might not be fully updated with all of the information the Pokedex I have left is guaranteed to have," Prof. Juniper responded kindly. "The ones I gave to Ella and Trixa are brand new and freshly updated. Just wait a second. I'll get the spare right away for you."

"Prof. Juniper, I'm gonna head on out of here, then!" Ella said happily.

"Ah, yes. No need for you to wait around here," Prof. Juniper said. "Good luck on your journey, Ella."

"Thanks, Prof. Juniper!"

Prof. Juniper turned and walked back to the lab.

June and I exchanged glances.

"I look forward to seeing you at the league, Gary," Ella said, grasping my immediate attention. "I know you won't let me down." She leaned forward and nudged my shoulder with hers before winking, and then turned to Trixa. She let out a sigh and shook her head.

I turned and saw Trixa holding Tepig in her arms, her head up at the sun, her eyes closed, smiling, spinning in rapid circles, mumbling something in a tune.

Ella turned back to me, smiling, and then looked back at Trixa. "Good luck! I'll see you later, Trixa!"

Trixa paid her no mind and continued spinning.

Ella turned back to me and smiled at June. "It was a pleasure to meet you, too, June! Will you be competing?"

"Nope, not me," June said, waving her arm and shaking her head. "I'm here for the sights, and to learn how to work with my Pokemon better. I've got a long way to go before I'll feel confident enough to start battling competitively again. That's why I'm traveling with Gary. He has tons of knowledge and experience on these things. I learned a lot from him while we traveled through Kanto."

"So, he's like your teacher! Wow! You're so lucky!"

Teacher? I thought, feeling my face grow hot with embarrassment. Not really… Although June can be such a kid most of the time.

"Teacher! Ha ha. Yes, I suppose it's something like that." June glanced over at me.

Ella smiled sneakily. "Are you sure it isn't something more?"

"NO!" I blurted out, before reminding myself in my head that she had a boyfriend, and even if she didn't, I'm a total coward and would never ask her out, and even if I did, she'd never go out with someone as ugly as me.

Ella giggled as June shot me a strange look. "Well, three's a crowd! I'll see you two another time! Bye!" She smiled and waved at us as she hurried away.

Three's a crowd… I repeated in my head. What did she mean by that? I didn't dwell on it much longer. I shook my head hard and turned around to the lab.

Prof. Juniper still wasn't back.  
She has to be calling Prof. Oak, I thought. "June, we've got to move."

June turned to me and nodded, understanding completely, and gave a quick glance back to the lab before facing me again.

June and I ran in the opposite direction of the lab, but we didn't get far.

"HEY!"

We both stopped.

My heart beat rapidly in my chest. Oh, no, I thought with fear. Juniper?

"Where did everyone go?"

No, I realized. Not Juniper. Trixa? I turned around and saw Trixa, still holding her Tepig, Tepig moaning, a nauseous look on his face.

Trixa ran up to me, clutching her Pokemon. "Where are you going? Where's Prof. Juniper and Ella?"

"Ella? Um… well she went off on her journey," I said quickly. "And Prof. Juniper said bye to us all, but I guess you weren't paying attention."

"Oh," Trixa said, shaking her head, staring at her Tepig. "Sometimes, I have no idea where my head is at. I totally didn't even know everyone had left."

"Yeah. Um… I'm going to… um…" I started.

"Leave?" Trixa asked. A sad look came over her face. "I know you're here visiting. Don't let me hold me you up. But, to be honest, I wish I wasn't such a screw up. I'm afraid I may not be cut out for this Pokemon Trainer thing."

"Why?" I asked, glancing back at the lab.

Still no sign of Juniper.

"Why? You saw that battle, didn't you?" she cried. "I know _nothing_ about Pokemon! I'll never make it!"

We have to get out of here, I thought frantically, glancing back at the lab.

Still no sign of Juniper.

"June and I are traveling through the Unova Region to compete in the Unova League," I blurted out before my brain had fully agreed with my mouth to say that thought out loud. "I have tons of experience from my journey in Kanto, and June is a previous Gym Leader from Kanto. We'll teach you whatever!"

Trixa's eyes burst open. "Are you serious? You've travelled Kanto, and you're a Gym Leader?"

"Um, I used to be one," June said, blushing. "I was a lousy one, though. Gary is the one who knows the most about Pokemon and stuff. Really. I'm nothing."

I shot her an angry glare before turning back to Trixa. "Anyway, if you'd like, we can travel together."

"Oh, wowee! I'd just _love_ that!" Trixa exclaimed, her black eyes twinkling with delight, her arms squeezing around Tepig tightly as he struggled in her grip, grunting and squealing.

I turned back to the lab and then back to Trixa.

Still no sign of Juniper.

"Then, we've got to go!" I shouted, and ran past her and June as fast as I could.

"Wait up!" June shouted.

"Hey! What's the rush?" Trixa yelled.

"You guys started your journey late!" I remembered, using it as an excuse. "We've got to make up for lost time! You and I will be collecting badges! We've got to make sure we get to these gyms in enough time for the both of us!" I charged forward, knowing that now, there was no going back. I had the strangest feeling that I had absolutely no control over my life anymore.

Not even a day had passed since my mom had been attacked by the refrigerator.

Shortly after that, Prof. Oak was attacked by my Porygon-Z.

Soon after that, Porygon-Z got me and June a free trip to the Unova Region, leaving Charizard behind, Porygon-Z itself missing ever since.

And now, it was just me, June and her five Pokemon, and our new traveling partners, Trixa and her Tepig.

I hadn't fully made up my mind yet, but, it seemed that Trixa and I, with June traveling along with us, would be challenging the Unova League.


	4. Tripping Off The Basics

Tepig ate from a bowl overflowing with Pokemon food.

Rotom and Magneton hovered above June as she stood next to me, Magneton shocking Rotom on occasion, Rotom seemingly enjoying the jolts of electricity.

Eevee, Electivire, and Galvantula ate from their bowls near Tepig.

Trixa was on her back on the ground on top of a lot of dead leaves, looking up at the sky, smiling, swaying her arms and legs as if she were in the snow making snow angels.

June and I had our eyes on her, watching silently in confusion.

After a long while, I sighed and turned to June.

June didn't look away from Trixa, staring at her with a stunned look on her face, her mouth hanging open.

How did we get stuck with this one? I wondered, glancing back at Trixa, and I immediately began thinking about Ella.

Ella with her pitch black hair with the matching black bow in it, her mesmerizing smile abducting me from my current place, pulling me into her realm of perfect beauty. Her eyes, an attractive slant and glint to them, bending me to any desire she requested. Why couldn't she be travelling with us? Or even just me and Ella, alone…

I pulled out my electronic Town Map and stared at it. Well, this thing is really cool, I thought. I may have lost out on who I would want accompanying me and June on this journey I never agreed to, but at least I got this nice consolation prize. But am I really going to compete in the Unova League? Is this really what I want? To go on another journey like I did in Kanto? Well, I guess it won't be exactly the same, for many reasons. But what about my Pokemon? Porygon-Z and Charizard. There's no telling where they both are right now. I can only hope they both made it back to Prof. Oak's lab safely. And what about all of my other Pokemon? I can't ask Prof. Oak to send them to me. My Porygon-Z attacked him the last time June and I saw him, and we ran away! He must hate our guts at this point. Must I recapture a slew of Pokemon again and train them? Once I capture over six, they'll be sent to Prof. Oak. He'll know I'm in Unova if he gets a ton of Unova Pokemon sent to him. What do I do? I have to catch _something_ while I'm here, right? I am still a Pokemon Trainer! My goal is still to capture all the Pokemon in the world. All one thousand of them.

I remembered the promise I made to my mom when I had first begun my travels as a Pokemon Trainer: _"I'll become the greatest Pokemon Master. With my Charmander. And we'll catch them all. All one thousand, mom. I promise."_

Before I was a Pokemon Trainer, when Melissa was traveling as one, she would call home, crying, upset about not doing too well on her journey._  
__"You're not allowed back home until you're a Pokemon Master and have capture all one thousand Pokemon,"_ my mom would tell her strongly. She didn't mean it, but was just encouraging my sister to never give up.

It was a thing in my family to just say that there was one thousand Pokemon in the world. My sister, dad, mom, grandma, auntie, and I would always say to each other that there were one thousand Pokemon to capture. My grandma, auntie, sister, dad, and I knew there weren't really that many Pokemon confirmed, but I was never really sure if my mom really believed there was one thousand Pokemon in existence or not. She never did put any effort into learning anything about them.

I knew there were well over seven hundred discovered species of Pokemon, with many more still to be uncovered.

It's theorized by many Pokemon Professors around the world that there are thousands of different species of Pokemon all over the world, waiting to be confirmed as legitimate Pokemon species.

When I had gone on my journey as a Pokemon Trainer, though my mom tried to hide her true feelings and offered me support in my decision, it wasn't long before it was clear that my mom was fed up, especially after all the dangers I had been through, added with all the stress she was going through with my father passing away and Melissa not calling back home in so long, and gave me a much harder time than she ever gave my dad or Melissa when they were off traveling with Pokemon.

Something grabbed my attention, and I turned to see a small creature with a large tooth sticking out of its mouth, creep into the area. It resembled a beaver. It looked familiar to me, like something I had seen when Virgil had been driving me and June to Prof. Juniper's lab. The creature snuck closer, nearing Eevee.

Eevee looked up and stared at the new Pokemon, wagging her tail. "Veeee?"  
The creature backed up a couple of feet and stared silently at Eevee, its tail straight up in the air.

I was too nervous that I'd scare away the Pokemon, so I didn't reach for my Pokedex. I should catch this thing, I thought.

The creature looked at me.

I stared back. Smiling slowly, I said, "Hello. Who are you?"  
The creature said its name and backed up some more.

I decided it might be okay to pull out my Pokedex, and I scanned the creature.

_**Patrat. The Scout Pokemon. They can keep watch for days on end, living off of food they store in their cheeks. This conscious Pokemon must be on guard at all times.**_

"A Patrat!" I exclaimed. "Cool! It must be like a Rattata! A great starter Pokemon to capture! Hey! Trixa!" I turned to Trixa, but she was still on her back, rubbing against the ground on her back with her arms and legs. "Trixa?"

She didn't move, completely ignoring me, totally in another world.

I turned back to Patrat, but it was now running away. "Wait!" I called, and ran after it, reaching in my pocket for a Poke Ball. "Oh, no!" I remembered I didn't have any Poke Balls with me, and stopped running, looking after Patrat as it disappeared into the woods. "Damn it!" I turned around to Trixa, angrily. "HEY!" I shouted.

Trixa stopped moving at once and turned her head to me, still smiling. "Hello!"

"Trixa, you just missed out on a Pokemon! A Patrat just ran away and you could have caught it!"

Trixa smiled a little wider, her eyes twinkling with some sort of delight, presumably, and then she closed her eyes and continued swaying through the leaves.

"What the hell?" I muttered, squinting at her in confusion. I looked back to where Patrat had run off, but there was no sign of it. "Don't you care?" I asked Trixa.

Trixa stopped making her movements and sighed, her smile plastered on her face, and stood up. "Patrat, you say?"

"Yeah!"

"I'll find another later or something. Don't sweat the small stuff, Gary."

"But, you just missed out on a Pokemon!" I said, lowering my voice, trying to not get angry over her nonchalant attitude.

"I didn't even notice it," Trixa replied. "No big deal." She looked down to Tepig. "I guess you finished eating, huh?" She knelt down next to Tepig and his empty bowl and pet his head, Tepig grunting happily in response to her touch.

I turned to June's Pokemon. Galvantula, Eevee, Electivire, Rotom, and Magneton, I saw. Why only those five? What happened to Blitzle, and those other guys like Lanturn, and whatever else she had? She had ten Pokemon! I wanted to ask what happened, but not in front of Trixa. I needed to wait until June and I were alone.

Galvantula cried out happily and turned around to June, walking over to her, and I immediately backed away from the thing.

June bent down and pet her creepy spider Pokemon, and Eevee ran up to June, jumping and landing on her right shoulder. June laughed and grabbed her Eevee, hugging her tightly.

Magneton shocked Rotom again, Rotom smiling and crying out with delight.

Electivire had finished eating, and was staring at Trixa and Tepig with a strange look on his face.

"Return!" June said firmly, sending her Electivire back to his Poke Ball.

"I really think your Pokemon are just amazing!" Trixa commented, holding her Tepig in her arms, smiling at June. "I've never seen any of these before! In person, at least. Even Galvantula, which is from Unova! Thanks again for showing me them."

June nodded happily. "I'm glad I could assist in your Pokedex information!"

Trixa had recorded all of June's Pokemon in her Pokedex after getting over the amazement of the Pokemon June had. She picked up Eevee, laughed and pointed at Rotom, knocked a gentle fist against Magneton's hard body, rubbed along Galvantula's sickening, Bug body, and lifted Electivire's arms.

Electivire had growled at her, but didn't attack.

Trixa didn't seem to notice Electivire's warning as she joyfully skipped away after her examination of the threatening Pokemon.

"Well, if everyone's done, let's just continue on to Accumula Town, okay?" I suggested, looking at the Town Map. I had determined that the nearest place to obtain the first badge was undoubtedly Accumula Town. The gym there had only been open for four months, and the Gym Leader, Bane, raised Poison Type Pokemon.

What really grabbed my attention was the city after Accumula. Striaton City. The gym there had reopened four years ago after a terribly long hiatus, according to what this incredible Town Map said. Apparently, the gym leaders, Chili, Cress, and Cilan, individually raise one type of Pokemon, different from each other, and depending on what Starter Pokemon the challenger chose in the Unova Region, the challenger would be facing the Gym Leader who had a type advantage. Cilan raised Grass types, Cress had Water types, and Chili had Fire types. These rules struck me as peculiar, but invigorated me to challenge such odd rules that Unova allowed.

The Unova Region is pretty cool to let such stuff happen, I told myself. Maybe I actually _will _compete in the Unova League after all!

"Accumula Town?" June questioned. "How far is that?"

"According to this map, we should be there in just a little bit. We're really not far."

"Well, we're already behind in starting this journey, right?" June asked. "We should get going."  
"Yeah," I nodded, and turned to Trixa. "Um…"

Trixa was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Trixa?" I asked.

June looked around. "She was right here just a second ago." June returned her other four Pokemon and then faced me, confusion on her face.

"Great," I sighed. "Is this girl serious right now? Where did she go?"  
June shrugged.

"This girl is starting to become a pain," I muttered, again wishing that Ella was with us instead.

"Let's just try and find her fast and then keep moving," June said.  
"Right," I agreed.  
June and I moved along the wide path before us. We were looking through the trees surrounding us, glancing at a high ledge on the right side of the path that contained trees that led into deep areas that might have been nice to explore had I officially decided that I would be traveling through the Unova Region.

But I hadn't decided that.

June had made all of the plans so far.

I glanced at the ledge, wondering what might lie beyond there before turning to look in the opposite direction and noticed that June was already looking there. "Look." I stopped. "More Patrat. In a huge group." I walked over to the grass and knelt down, creeping over to the gathering of the Patrat, huddling low, keeping out of sight of the Pokemon by hiding behind the shrubs around me.

June joined me on her knees, staring at the rodent Pokemon.

"Time to capture a Pokemon," I whispered, reaching in my pocket. Nothing was in there, so I dug through my other pockets. "Ugh!"

At my noise, the Patrat all looked up in my direction, their tails on end.

I clasped my hands over my mouth with a gasp.

The Patrat immediately ran away, even deeper into the forest.

"Damn it!" I yelled, standing up and stomping the ground. "I forgot I have no Poke Balls!" I turned around to stomp back towards the path June and I were on, but stopped with a loud gasp. "Trixa!"

"Hey!" she smiled, on her knees behind June, and stood up, her Tepig by her legs.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was watching the Patrat with you both," Trixa replied.

"What? Since when?"  
"Since we were traveling through the woods together and you spotted them, of course, ha ha!" she laughed.

"You were with us?"

"I was right behind you two. Didn't you see me? And they say _I'm_ absentminded!" Trixa laughed again.

I covered my face with my hand and sighed. This whole thing is a joke, I told myself. None of this is real. It can't be. No way.

"Well, I'm glad you're safe," June replied. "We were looking for you!"

"Really? How weird is that, huh?" Trixa said excitedly.

"Can we please continue on to Accumula Town?" I asked impatiently.

"Sure thing!" Trixa said cheerfully.

We continued forward on the path laid out in front of us. It had been a long gap in time before I mentally noted the amount of silence between the three of us. I turned around and saw Trixa, walking behind us with her eyes closed, smiling, Tepig shooting her curious glances on occasion. "Trixa?"

June turned back to stare at Trixa.

Trixa contined walking, her arms stationary at her sides, not moving.

"Trixa?" I tried again.

Trixa didn't respond, continuing to walk.

"I think you should open your eyes when you walk," I suggested. "You might crash into something."

Trixa didn't react, her head tilting to the left suddenly as she kept strolling along.

I turned back to June, who looked at me, a weary look on her face.

"Is she gonna be okay?" June asked.

"She's at least ten, right?" I said. "I guess if she's been acting like this for around ten years, she'll be fine. No need to try to change her. We'll just keep an eye on her. I dunno."

We both looked over to Trixa again.

Her head was swaying around in circles, down and around, up and around, down and around, repeatedly.

"That girl is freaking nuts!" I exclaimed.

Trixa continued on with the weird swiveling of her head.

"Gary!" June whispered.

"Just seeing if I could grab her attention," I told June. "Since she's lost in her own strange lifestyle, I can ask you some questions."

"Huh?" June stared at me wide-eyed.

"You only have five Pokemon with you," I said in a low voice. "What happened to the other guys?"

"Oh," June murmured. "Blitzle, Lanturn, Manectric, Ampharos, and Pikachu."  
"Yeah!"

"They're in Gringey City right now, at the Pokemon Center there," June explained, lowering her voice even more. "They haven't fully recovered. I'll have them sent to me once they're okay. But for now, they're still very pained. I gave up a lot trying to free you from your mom's house. I wanted to stay home and make sure my Pokemon were okay, but I needed to get you out of your home, too."

"Well, I never asked you to help me," I said.

"You _couldn't_ ask me!" June responded, getting angry.

I didn't say anything.

"How are your Pokemon?" June asked. "Only Porygon-Z and Charizard made it to you. You mentioned something about Primeape being with Prof. Oak when we were in Pallet Town. And Weepinbell! Have you heard anything about the others?"

"The ones with me at the Pokemon League are still in bad shape, except for Weepinbell and Primeape. They're with Prof. Oak and are doing okay. Drifloon, Kingdra, and Noctowl are still in a Pokemon Center recovering. I think they're in the one in Viridian City. They should be just fine in a few more months. My other Pokemon with Prof. Oak are just fine, of course. Prof. Oak kept me updated by sending me notes on a Hoppip."

"I'm glad some of your Pokemon are doing well."

"Yeah. I'm really grateful. At least I know some of my Pokemon are fine and the others should be coming back home, soon."  
"I'm happy to hear that, Gary."

"Thank you. I'm sorry so many of your Pokemon are still unwell. Is there any word on how they are right now?"

June shook her head. "Like I said back then, it was more than an electric shock. Blitzle is in agony and they're still working on him. The others are in rough shape, too. They think my Pokemon will be okay, but they did warn me that anything could happen. They're really not doing too well. The doctors are doing the best they can."

I opened my mouth to say something, but suddenly, Trixa skipped past me, and continued on, humming a song, Tepig running to keep up with his trainer.

"Where are you going?" I called out to her.

Trixa kept on skipping, and suddenly, an enormous creature leaped out from the trees! She skid to a stop, Tepig slamming into her legs from the sudden halt, and Trixa gasped.

"Whoa! Look!" I cried out, recognizing the large Pokemon from my ride with Virgil, and pulled out my Pokedex.

_**Sawsbuck. The Season Pokemon and Deerling's evolved form. This Pokemon's look changes with the seasons. **__**Often traveling in herds, the one with the most extravagant horns is the leader.**_

"Wow! An evolved Pokemon!" I felt a surge of jealousy fill my body, wishing I had run into this Pokemon instead of Trixa before remembering that I didn't have any Poke Balls on me to capture it, nor any Pokemon to battle against it with.

Trixa took a strong position on her feet and pointed at Sawsbuck. "You're a Pokemon! Tepig, GO!"

"Tepig!" Tepig cried out and ran towards Sawsbuck.

"Tepig, Tackle attack!" Trixa said. "Go!"

"Teeeepig!" Tepig cried out and charged at Sawsbuck. He jumped and slammed his body, headfirst, into Sawsbuck's chest, pushing Sawsbuck back a couple of feet, but Sawsbuck seemed just fine.

"Trixa, use your Pokedex!" June urged.

"Tepig, maybe you can use Ember! Right?" Trixa tried, ignoring June.

"Tepig! Tepig!" Tepig cried happily, and used Ember, sending out a swirl of sparkling fire at Sawsbuck.

Sawsbuck was hit, stumbling back, and then it ran towards Tepig angrily.

"It's gonna attack, Trixa!" I shouted. "Watch out!"

Trixa growled, glaring at Sawsbuck.

Sawsbuck neared Tepig, Tepig backing up, awaiting orders from his trainer.

"TRIXA!" I yelled.

Sawsbuck was suddenly consumed by fire, and collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain, right in front of Tepig.

Tepig had been cowering in front of Sawsbuck as the large Pokemon got closer, but he looked up at Sawsbuck once it was screaming amongst the fire around its body.

"Sawsbuck is Burned!" I said happily. "This is your chance, Trixa!"  
"YAY!" Trixa cheered, leaping into the air... _and then she skipped away!_

My eyes bulged out. "_TRIXA?_"

Trixa skipped right past Sawsbuck and continued on. "Let's go, Tepig!"

"Tepig? Tepig!" Tepig ran around Sawsbuck as it up looked in shock at him.

It turned around to me and June and growled.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, backing up a step. "Wait a minute!"

Sawsbuck ran towards us angrily.

"Oh, no!" I cried out.

"Great!" June said happily, stepping in front of me and holding a Poke Ball in her hand. "This will do just fine! I choose you, Eevee!"

Eevee's Poke Ball soared through the air and opened, sending out Eevee in a flash of white light. "Veeeee!"

"Eevee, use your Charm attack!"

Sawsbuck leaped at Eevee, its body stretched, the front hooves reaching for Eevee.  
Eevee let out a loud, happy cry, and winked at Sawsbuck with glittering eyes.

Sawsbuck soared into Eevee with its hooves, sending her flying back.

Eevee got to her feet and shook her head hard, glaring at Sawsbuck.

"Fight back with Quick Attack!" June ordered.

Eevee crouched down and then rapidly fired herself at Sawsbuck, knocking it to the ground.

Sawsbuck's horns started to glow a light green, and sparkles seemed to be pulled into them from the sun above.

"It's about to use SolarBeam! Eevee, take it out with Double-Edge!"

Eevee was covered in a gold aura as she ran at Sawsbuck, a yellow trail flying off of her body. She slammed into Sawsbuck, taking it down to the ground.

Sawsbuck's SolarBeam fired from its horns, smashing into the ground, raising dirt into the air.

June and I cried out in surprise, covering our faces. When the dust cleared, we lowered our hands, but only saw Trixa staring at us, her face holding surprise, her Tepig looking at us with a matching look of shock.

"Wow! Pretty sweet, huh?" Trixa said, smiling happily.

"WHAT?" I shouted, storming towards her. "You left us here to battle that thing without finishing what you started!"

Confusion replaced Trixa's surprise. "What do you mean? We beat Sawsbuck. It was your turn!"  
"WHAT IS _WRONG _WITH YOU?!" I bellowed. "Sawsbuck was still able to battle! You ran away from it! _You don't just stop in the middle of a battle like that!_"

"Well, what more do we do?" Trixa asked, brushing her long hair with her hands.

"You battle until it's down! You keep going until the opponent is out! You catch the freaking thing! _ANYTHING!_ You don't just run off!"

"It was Burned! You said so!"

"BURN DOESN'T MEAN YOU WIN! WHAT THE-"

"Gary…" June said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I took a deep breath and stayed quiet.

"A Burn, or any Status Ailment, doesn't end a match, Trixa," June explained kindly to Trixa. "It's a nice boost, but the opponent is still more than capable of winning."  
"Ooohhhh!" Trixa said. "'Kay!" And she skipped off happily, Tepig running after her.

"You know, I really don't know about this girl," I said in a low growl.

"She's innocent," June said, giving me a gentle push. "Give her a chance."

I just shook my head.

"Let's also catch up with her!" June added, and ran to follow Trixa.

I hesitated, but then ran after June.

Trixa wasn't far ahead, and we kept up with her by jogging.

This girl is brain dead, I told myself. She needs to just stay home, not travel on her own, or with anybody. She's a hazard to herself and her own Pokemon!

Trixa continued making her way along until something appeared in the trees to her right.

It looked like an adorable little puppy. It sniffed the air and stepped out cautiously, and then looked up at Trixa.

_**Lillipup. The Puppy Pokemon. The fur on Lilliup's face senses changes in the environment, sensing predators and also useful when hunting.**_

"Another new Pokemon! Trixa, don't screw this one up, alright?" I called out to her.

She turned back to me. "I haven't screw up anything since starting this journey! What do you mean?" She turned back to Lillipup. "Tepig! Ember!"

"Teeeeeeeeeepiiiiig!" Tepig sent out a big flame of fire at Lillipup.

Lillipup cried out and was forced to the ground. It got back up and charged at Tepig, opening its jaws, its teeth glowing white, and bit into Tepig's side.

Tepig cried out in pain.

"Hey! Lillipup isn't Burned!" Trixa cried out, pointing at Lillipup.

"A Burn isn't guaranteed!" I yelled at her. "Will you focus on the damn battle?!"

Trixa glared at me. "Don't talk to me that way! There's no need to be mean! I haven't traveled an entire region and gained a lot of experience like you have! Why are you being such a jerk to me?"

My anger faded as I realized how impatient I was being with her, regret filling me quickly. "Trixa…"

She turned back to the battle. "Tepig, use your Tail Whip! That's a basic move, I think!"

Tepig ran at Lillipup and made a quick turnaround, his tail facing Lillipup, and repeatedly smacked it in the face with it.

"Now use Ember!" Trixa turned to me. "Lillipup's Defense is down, so it will do more damage!"

My shoulders slumped in disappointment at her words as Trixa looked away from me. At least she gets the idea… I told myself.

Tepig attacked with Ember.

Lillipup rolled along the ground as it was hit, finally stopping.  
"YEAH!" Trixa shouted, jumping repeatedly, happily. "We win!"

"Catch it!" I instructed.

"Why?" Trixa asked, turning to me, brushing back her hair.

I wasn't sure how to answer. Was that even a serious question? "Why…?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm.

"Yeah. Why?" Trixa asked, crossing her arms.

Lillipup shook its head and got to its feet.

"Trixa!" I pointed at Lillipup.

Trixa turned around. "It's still up!" Trixa gasped.

Lillipup barked a few times and then ran at Tepig, using Tackle, and slammed into his stomach.

Tepig's stomach flashed white, signaling a Critical Hit, and Tepig rolled along the ground, finally sprawling out on his back.

Lillipup barked again and ran off into the woods where it had appeared from.

Trixa walked over to her Tepig and knelt down. "How ya doing?" she asked, smiling.

Tepig groaned in pain.

"I guess you've had enough," Trixa said. "Come back." She returned Tepig to his Poke Ball and turned to June and I. "Well, I guess I'm out of usable Pokemon for a little while!"

"You!" I screamed, stomping over to Trixa. "_WHY_ didn't you catch the Lillipup when it was down?!"

"Why would I do that?" Trixa asked, her head cocked to the left.

"_BECAUSE YOU'RE A POKEMON TRAINER!_" I shouted as loud as I possibly could, hearing birds flap their wings in the treetops and fly off. "You're meant to defeat and capture Pokemon you don't own, or even those you do own, if you want, and _raise them!_"

"Oh. I kind of wondered how that was supposed to work. Thanks for telling me!" She smiled and skipped away.

"HEY!" I shouted, stopping Trixa.

She turned to me, her eyes wide.

"You're also meant to use your Pokedex to scan Pokemon to record what you've seen and captured!" I said angrily. "You're doing everything all wrong! You're not gonna make it if you don't follow the obvious rules!"

"Well, they're not that obvious," Trixa snapped back. "If they were, I would've noticed them!"  
I let out an angry sigh. "You missed out on three cool Pokemon today! I could've captured them if I had Poke Balls with me!"

"Well, shows just how obvious those rules are if you don't even have any Poke Balls with you," Trixa smirked. "_I_ have Poke Balls."

I had no response to this.

"You can use mine if you want." Trixa dug around in her pockets.

"No! Those are your first five! They're very important!" I insisted. "Please! Keep them! We'll just buy more when we find a Poke Mart in a Pokemon Center."

"You can use mine," June offered, lifting her bag on her shoulder.

"Like I said, I'll _buy_ more at the Pokemon Center!" I growled. I took out the Town Map. "Look! The next Pokemon Center is outside of this forest, and according to this, that's only but another fifty feet away! Come on! We can heal your Tepig, Trixa!"

"Pokemon don't just recover inside of their Poke Balls?" Trixa asked in her wide-eyed innocence.

"NO!" June and I shouted in unison.

"Oh. Ha ha," Trixa giggled, blushing.

I sighed. "Come on!" I grabbed Trixa's hand and pulled her after me, June following after us, as we moved as quickly as we could out of the forest.

In seconds, I could see the forest clearing out, and a wooden building was in the distance, a large, pink 'P' on the front of it, near the top.

That must be it! The Pokemon Center! I told myself.

We ran even faster towards it, Trixa crying out in shock at my insistent pulling, June running behind us.

The only building in this clearing, I led the way, bursting through the door, and scanned the inside of it quickly. I spotted a couple of wooden tables and chairs, a pair of desktop computers that could also be used to make phone calls, and a large, wooden, polished desk containing a cute lady behind it, smiling at us wearing a pink nurse's outfit, a pink Pokemon smiling at her side with a little white nurse's cap with a light blue cross on it, and I ran up to them. "Excuse me, but is this the Pokemon Center?"

"Yes, this is! Are you in need of some Pokemon care?" the young lady asked.

The Pokemon by her side cried out happily.

"Yes! Is Nurse Joy here?"

"In fact, she is! _I'm_ Nurse Joy!"

"_You?_" I questioned, and squinted at the lady who looked like she wasn't even old enough to attend college.

She smiled and giggled. "Why, yes, I am!"

"But, you barely look like you're seventeen! How can you be the Nurse Joy here?" I asked in shock.

Nurse Joy giggled again. "I thank you for your compliment, but I can guarantee I am indeed the Nurse Joy here."

"I can't believe it! The Nurse Joys in Kanto look…well…similar to you, but not quite the same. They look… More adult! No, that's not quite the right word, but…"

Nurse Joy giggled once again. "So, you're from the Kanto Region? Well, yes, while I think I look noticeably different from the other Nurse Joys in Unova, there's no doubt that we all have a major difference in appearance from our relatives in Kanto, Sinnoh, Hoenn, and Johto! I welcome you to the Unova Region! And might I introduce you to the Pokemon we all have here to assist us! As opposed to the Chansey you're used to seeing, in the Unova Region, we use Audino!"

"Audino!" the pink Pokemon cried out gently.

_**Audino. The Hearing Pokemon. It can detect even the faintest of sounds. The feelers on their ears can act as a stethoscope, hearing the heartbeats of others.**_

I stared in shock at Nurse Joy and Audino, realizing that there might just be a lot of things that I'd have to get used to in the Unova Region.

Gym Battles.

The Nurse Joys.

The Audino.

And who knows what else!

As Trixa and June handed Nurse Joy their Pokemon, and we all took a seat by the window, looking out at the afternoon sun, I dwelled on a fact that had continuously been circling my head since the moment I had found my mom struggling to free herself from the refrigerator holding her captive.

My life would never be the same for me again.

And I also found myself pondering the fact that.

The Nurse Joys in Unova weren't as attractive as the ones in Kanto.


	5. Some Like It Hot

"If you're gonna start earning badges, you should start catching some Pokemon, Gary," June told me.

"You don't say," I said sarcastically.

"Well, I'm just saying. Accumula Town isn't far away, right?" she asked.

I nodded. "I never really said I was going to challenge the Unova League. My mom was attacked in the middle of the night by one of your Pokemon, and then, the next thing I know, I'm pretty much homeless. Then, I run into my Charizard and Porygon-Z, the latter who attacks Prof. Oak, basically banning me from Pallet Town, and now, both Pokemon are missing. To top it off, I'm in some whole other freaking region I've never been to, with no Pokemon, and no access to any of my old Pokemon, and you want me to just go catch some new ones? Then what? If I catch more than six, I'm busted as far as what region I'm in. And once the Unova League is over, then what are we going to do? Where will we go?"

"I've thought about that," June replied, her eyes to the ground. "You're always welcome back at my place..."

I turned to her, scowling, getting even angrier as I noticed her red cheeks. "Oh, of course," I snapped. "_Your_ place! Back in Gringey City. In _KANTO!_ And exactly how are we going to get back over the freaking ocean to the Kanto Region? Hmm. I guess a plane would work, right? Right. Oh, wait! I forgot! You didn't bring your freaking purse or anything to pay for the trip! The food you brought in your bag, and the food we'll get for free at the Pokemon Centers, are only going to be but so sufficient, June!"

"Will you stop getting so angry at me?" June yelled back. "Just shut up and listen! I already made a call at the Pokemon Center we came from. I'm getting a new card mailed to Striaton City. I checked out the Town Map in the Pokemon Center and I knew it might take some time to get to Unova, so I figured I'd send it a couple of towns ahead of us. So we just have to make sure we make it to Striaton City."

I sighed. "Fine. After Accumula, we'll go straight there. It's not far from there."

June smiled. "See? I've got everything under control."

The sun beamed from above. It was surprisingly hot for the kind of cool, easygoing weather we'd been having the past couple of months.

The path we were on was guarded on each side by a light number of trees, grass stretching for miles beyond the dry, dirt ground beneath our feet, dirtying my sneakers slowly as they crunched the brown, dead leaves beneath them.

My hands were in my jacket pockets as I pondered taking it off.

"So about Unova…" June said after a little while.

"What about it?" I asked cautiously.

"What do you think?"

"It's nice. Why?"  
"Gary!" June said angrily. "Why do you think I'm asking? I wanna know if you're going to compete or if you want to leave?"

I turned my eyes to the sky, thinking about her words.

The blue sky was cloudless, only accompanied by the hot sun.

I started to feel even hotter staring up at it, but I didn't look away as I pondered my future plans. After everything I'd been through in the past few days, this was the first real time I was able to call the shots. I could take the time to think and not act in haste.

Compete in the Unova League, or…? Or what?

I lowered my eyes to June, and then turned to… "Hey!" I said in surprise, looking around, blinking out the bright flashes lingering in my eyes from the sun. "Trixa! Where are you?"

"Oh, no!" June cried out in shock. "Where's Trixa?"

"Let's just leave her!" I said angrily. "I've had about enough of her and her craziness! We're not her babysitters."

"We're her friends, Gary," June responded.

"Don't give me that. Come on, let's go." I walked past June as she looked around with a worried look on her face.

"Gary, we can't just leave her! She might need our help!"

"I'm not arguing that the girl needs help, but not the kind of help we can give her." I continued to walk, and June's footsteps followed behind me shortly after.

"Aren't you worried at all?" June asked sadly.  
I sighed loudly. "No. She'll be fine."

"You're so stubborn."  
"I'm way too impatient to be dealing with this. Imagine if you hadn't kidnapped me to the Unova Region. She'd still be lost right now."

"Hey! I could've left you home, okay?" June said, her voice rising.

I didn't say anything, but kept walking as the trees continued to thin out, more flat land replacing it.

"Besides, maybe we're here for a reason, you know? Like, to save her!"

"Maybe _you're_ here to save her," I joked.

"You know, I should have just left you in Pallet! You can really be such a total piece of-!" June screamed angrily.

"Hey! You two!" a voice interrupted June.

We both turned and saw an older guy running towards us, a concerned look on his face.

"Excuse me, please!" the young man stopped in front of us, breathing hard, and then stood up, smiling kindly, and he spoke his words slowly, carefully. "I'm sorry, but I'm looking for two friends of a girl. She just walked into the Spa Resort I run, and started using the hot spring. She said that two of her friends were coming along, right behind her, and they'd be paying for her stay."

"A girl…?" I asked hesitantly.

"Um… What's her name…?" June asked cautiously.

"She said her name was Trixa," the young guy answered.

"_WHAT?!_" June screamed in shock.

I grabbed June's arm and pulled her away from the guy. "Nope, never heard of her. Good luck," I replied to him quickly, tugging June with me.

"Gary, she could get into huge trouble." June pulled me back towards the guy. "Sir, we are so sorry. That's our friend in there."

"You keep throwing that word around," I muttered angrily.

June shot me an angry look before turning back to the guy before us. "Excuse her, please. And, allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is June." She bowed slightly before the man and then jabbed me in my side with her elbow.

"AY!" I cried out angrily, and then faced the man. "I'm Gary," I said quickly, grumpily.

"It's nice to meet you both. My name is Dan," he smiled. "My family and I run a Spa Resort and hotel not far from here."

"Well, you better get Trixa washing some dishes, because we have no money and had no idea she had just run up into your place like that. She was with us and just disappeared."

"Oh, wow," the man said with disappointment. "That's really unfortunate. These things aren't free."

I nodded. "Well, feel free to call the police. Or the mental hospital. If you call the mental hospital, make sure they have plenty of tranquili-_ouch!_" I grabbed my shoulder in pain, glaring at June after her very strong punch she gave it.

"We're both very sorry for the trouble she's caused," June said, lowering her head. "If it's okay with you, we can just take her and leave. If you need us to wash any dishes or do laundry or anything, we eagerly offer you our assistance."

"_We_ offer you our assistance," I agreed. "As in June and Trixa. _I_ am getting the hell out of here." I walked away from them, attempting to continue on. My walk forward became reversed as I felt a strong, familiar pull on my earlobe that made me cry out in pain.

"Like I said, _we_ will gladly pay you back in any way we can," June offered, gripping my earlobe tightly. "_We_ apologize for our _friend's_ overzealous behavior."

Dan laughed a little as June released my ear and I scowled at the ground, rubbing it. "You're good people, and I appreciate the offer, but it's alright. I noticed that Trixa had a Poke Ball. Is it safe to assume that you three are Pokemon Trainers?"

June nodded, and I followed suit shortly after, although I was unsure on how to answer that for myself.

"I know the life of a Pokemon Trainer must be a busy one," Dan smiled. "I don't want to slow up your journey. Consider this one on the house." He winked.

"Really?" June asked, shocked.  
"Well, we could use the money, but, yes. It's on me," Dan replied, his smile fading slightly. "Business has been pretty slow lately. We're not sure why. The bills are stacking up and we're trying to pay them off, but times are getting really hard right now. We're not sure what's going to happen."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," June said, her voice lowering with sadness.

Dan nodded, his smile fading further. "I've worked here with my family since I was a little kid. It hurts to see everything we've worked for seem to crumble like this."

"Maybe it's just a seasonal slump!" June suggested.

Dan shook his head. "I wish. People seem to come here every season. Maybe it dies down just a little bit in the Winter, but not like this. We haven't had a customer in almost three months. I won't lie to you; it was really nice to see somebody in that hot spring after such a long period of time."

"Awww." June looked really upset by this news. "We'll spend some time with you!"

"June, wait a minute," I said.

"But, Gary, I feel bad," June said, turning to me.

"I do, too, but we can't."

June looked down sadly.

"I'm really sorry," I told Dan.

He shook his head, smiling. "I wouldn't want you guys around here, anyway. It's so boring and dull. I don't expect the business to die, but it certainly is shocking seeing it in such a bad place right now. But, we'll bounce back. Hopefully."

Silence greeted us as the awkward sadness left us without a word to say.

"Well, you guys are welcome to use the hot spring if you'd like," Dan said brightly. "Follow me and I'll take you right to your friend!"

I flinched at the word "friend."

Her long hair in the water, her shoulders in the straps of a white swimsuit, her eyes closed, smiling peacefully, Trixa was laying gently in the hot water against a rock, breathing gently.

"Trixa!" June and I shouted.

Trixa continued smiling, her eyes still closed, seemingly not hearing us.

"Grrrrr!" I picked up a small pebble on the ground by my feet and pulled back my arm.

"Gary!" June yelled, grabbing my hand, stopping me.

"Fine!" I said angrily, and pulled my hand away, dropping the pebble. "TRIXA! What are you doing?"

Trixa's eyes opened slowly and she smiled even brighter as she saw June and I. "Gary! June! Dan! I told you my two best friends were here with me!"

I felt a warm spot in my heart as I heard her call June and me her "best friends."

"They'll be joining and covering the costs!" Trixa continued, closing her eyes again.

The warm feeling faded instantly and I frowned at her.  
"Trixa!" June called out to her, gently.

"Hm?" Trixa's eyes opened.

"We never said we'd cover any charges," June said, a worried look on her face.

"Huh?" Trixa sat up in the water, her eyes wide with surprise. "But, how are we gonna pay these good people back for this service?"

"No one even agreed to use the services of this place in the first place!" I yelled angrily, starting to lose it.

"Why would we come here if we're not going to use the facility?" Trixa asked innocently.

I covered my face with my hands and growled loudly. "We weren't planning on coming here in the first damn place!" I screamed at her, removing my hands.

"Why are you yelling at me?" Trixa cried, her face visibly upset and a little scared.

"You broke into a freaking resort and just assumed we would be paying for it! _Why wouldn't I be mad?_"

"Now, now," Dan said, smiling. "Calm down. Let's not get all worked up. How about you kids enjoy the hot spring and let loose all of your tensions."

"Yeah, Gary," Trixa agreed. "You're way too wound up. This thing is so comforting. Join me!"

My face got hotter as I stared at Trixa, her body halfway out of the water, and looked her over quickly, the top half of her body in a white bikini top. "No," I said firmly.

"Why?" she asked, looking at me, wide-eyed.

"I don't want to," I mumbled, and looked away from her wet frame.

"But the water's really nice," Trixa urged.

"I don't swim," I said moodily. "I don't even like the water."

"You don't like water?"

"I don't swim in it," I answered shortly.

"Hmm." Trixa stood up and made her way over to the other end of the hot spring, closer to me.

I turned to her and felt my heart beating fast.

She actually looked rather pretty, soaking wet, looking up at me with such an innocent, adorable look on her face.

I forced myself to look away, but stared at her from out the corner of my eye.

She sniffed the air. "Hmm. I guess you do stink. It must be because you're afraid of the water. That's not healthy." She made her way back to the other side of the hot spring.

"I CLEAN MYSELF!" I shouted angrily, glaring at her. "I SHOWERED TWO NIGHTS AGO AT THE POKEMON CENTER! I didn't say I was afraid to shower! I said _swim!_"

"This isn't exactly something you swim in, Gary," Trixa responded. "You just lay in it. Like a bath. You're not afraid to bathe, are you? Like in a tub?"  
"No."

"This is the same thing!" Trixa closed her eyes and smiled, sighing happily.

"No!" I turned my back on Trixa.

"Oh, fine. June? How about you?"

"It's a little warm for me to be in a hot spring," June giggled.

"You won't even notice it!" Trixa insisted. "It feels so nice!"

"Trixa, Dan said you can spend the day here for free," I informed her. "I'm going on to Accumula Town. I don't have time for this."

"What? You're just gonna leave me?" Trixa cried out in shock.

Her sad voice actually tore through my heart.

"We're not leaving you," June assured her.

"You wanna bet?" I challenged, and walked past an uncomfortable faced Dan and made my way out of the hot spring. I moved quickly, fed up with everything and everyone, walking down a long, winding, rocky mountain path, through a short, two story, yellow building with an orange roof and a lot of windows.

I heard June call out for me, and Trixa began whining, Dan trying to calm down everyone.

"Gary, at least let her change!" June shouted angrily.

I stopped at the front door of the Spa Resort and turned around, seeing June and Trixa run down a separate hallway together.

Dan and I faced each other awkwardly, and he smiled.

"I'm sorry. I have nothing against you. Please don't take this personally," I apologized.

"No, not at all!" he said with a light chuckle. "I don't know how you travel with two girls. You're lucky, and they're both very cute, but I'm sure they can be a headache. I think Trixa may have been expecting you to pay because you're the guy!" He laughed.

I smiled, but didn't laugh, holding back my fury, looking to the ground. She expected me to pay because she's an idiot, not because I'm male, I thought. This girl is more trouble than she's worth.

It wasn't long before Trixa and June appeared from the hallway they had walked through, Trixa dressed in a blue dress and pink sandals, both girls frowning at me.

I turned to Dan. "Thanks again, sir." I walked out of the building quickly.

June and Trixa burst through the door after me. "_GARY!_" they both screeched, making me flinch.

I didn't stop walking.

They both ran past me and turned to face me, frowning.

I stopped in my tracks and returned their angry stares.

"Why are you always acting like this, Gary?" June demanded. "Even back in Kanto, you always had to be such a boss!"

"You both were in Kanto together?" Trixa asked, her anger fading from her face as she turned to June.

"Yes!" June said, turning to Trixa in surprise. "We're both from Kanto. We explained this at Prof. Juniper's lab."  
"You did?" Trixa asked, looking at June in confusion. "I don't remember that. I was too eager to get my Starter Pokemon! Guess I wasn't paying attention."

I shook my head, squinting at Trixa, and walked around June, keeping away from Trixa and her stupidity as if it were contagious.

"Hey! This isn't over, yet!" June blocked my path.

"Listen, I've already told you this enough times," I said, pointing my finger at her. "I'm stuck in Unova, with no idea on my future plans. If I'm going to be stuck here, you'd better be damn well sure that I'm making my own way. Follow me or leave me. Thank you for getting me out of my mom's place, but I think I need to start following my own ideas now. If I'm going to be competing in the Unova League, I need a Pokemon for starters. I don't want to waste time. Now let me walk on and think about this before I make up my mind, will you?" I walked around her and towards a wide path lined by several trees on each side.

June and Trixa followed behind me.

I pulled out my Town Map and looked at it, but my mind was elsewhere. Will I really be trying to compete in the Unova League? Will I really start catching Pokemon again? What happens when my journey in Unova is over? Where will I go after this? If I don't compete in the Unova League, what exactly will I be doing out here? My hands lowered with the Town Map still in them, and I looked at the path laid out in front of us.

"Everything okay?" June asked me softly.

"I'm sure it will be just fine," I said in a low voice.

"So a Poison gym is first?"

I nodded at June's question. "Yeah."

"You think you're ready, Trixa?" June asked her.

"Yeah! I've been waiting for this for a while now!" Trixa exclaimed. "This will really be fun!"

"Maybe you should have some kind of a battle, first," June suggested. "I'm not sure you fully know how to battle, yet. You know, like, the rules and stuff."  
"Of course I do!" Trixa said excitedly, her eyes twinkling as she looked at June and I. She turned to the road and stopped walking. "And I'll prove it to you right now!" She cracked her knuckles and smiled brightly.

I turned and gasped at the sight of a Pokemon!

Trixa pulled out her Pokedex and scanned the creature.

_**Pansear. The High Temp Pokemon. Pansear are more often located near volcanoes. This Pokemon feasts on berries and always cooks them first using its fire.**_

"Okay," Trixa nodded. She put her Pokedex in her right hand and grabbed her Poke Ball with her left hand. "Tepig! I choose you!"

"Tepig!" Tepig cried out, glaring at Pansear.

"Pansear!" Pansear growled and leaped quickly at Tepig, its claws glowing white.

"Dodge that!" Trixa ordered.

Tepig quickly moved, leaping and ducking around the quick swipes Pansear was attacking with.

Pansear's eyes glowed red as it used Leer attack.

Tepig froze in fear, stepping back.

Pansear attacked with Fury Swipes once more, swiping at Tepig's face.

Tepig cried out in pain, landing on the ground, but he got back up, breathing hot fire from his nostrils with a strong grunt.

"Tepig, it's our turn! Use your Tail Whip!" Trixa said, not taking her eyes off of her Pokedex.

Tepig ran at Pansear and turned around, smacking it in the face repeatedly with his tail.

Pansear shook its head and growled.

"Tail Whip, once more!"

Tepig attacked again.

Pansear backed up a few feet, shaking its head again.

I hope she knows that move isn't actually doing any damage, I thought. It's only lowering Pansear's Defense. She better start attacking.

"Once more, Tepig!" Trixa called.

Pansear ran forward towards Tepig, reaching out for it with its paws.

Tepig ran to Pansear, getting ready to use Tail Whip again.

Before Tepig could turn around, Pansear opened its mouth and licked Tepig in the face.

Tepig squealed in disgust.

"Aww! Is that a kiss?" Trixa gushed with delight, gripping her Pokedex tightly.

_**Lick. This attack may Paralyze the foe.**_

"You idiot," I muttered, smacking my forehead, closing my eyes, and shaking my head.

Trixa gasped.

Tepig backed up, shivering from Paralysis, and collapsed to the ground, not moving.

"Oh, no! And I don't have any other Pokemon!" Trixa said with disappointment.

"Trixa! Don't-!"

"SSSHHHH!" Trixa shushed me loudly, waving her hand at me frantically. "I can do this! I'll prove it! Just give me this chance!"

I closed my mouth, surprised by her sudden determination.

She squinted at Pansear, who was looking down at the Paralyzed Tepig.

"A Status problem doesn't end a match!" Trixa shouted. "Tepig! The match isn't over! Get up and fight back! Use Tackle!"

June smiled and nodded happily.

Tepig struggled to his feet.

Pansear ran to Tepig, raising a claw and leaping into the air, getting ready to attack with Scratch.

Tepig took the hit, sliding across the ground.

"Tepig! Come on! This isn't over!" Trixa encouraged her Pokemon. "Let's show what we can do!" She used her hands to brush her hair back and then pointed at Pansear. "Tackle it!"

Tepig got to his feet, and Pansear ran forward to use Fury Swipes. Tepig leaped over the swipes, into the air, and landed behind Pansear. He charged at Pansear as the monkey turned around to face him, tackling it to the ground.

Pansear got up, shaking its head.

"Tackle again!" Trixa shouted.

"Tepig!" Tepig charged right into Pansear, knocking it over.

Pansear seemed shaky as it got to its feet. It screeched angrily and raised a claw to use Scratch attack again.

"Ember!"

"Teeeepiiig!" Tepig snorted and blew a huge flame from his nostrils.

Pansear screamed out in shock, but then glared angrily at Tepig and continued its attack, not bothered too much by the fire, and swung down.

"TEPIG!" Tepig cried out, and suddenly, curled himself up into a ball.

Pansear landed the hit, forcing Tepig back as he rolled.

"Tepig!" Trixa cried out.

"He's using Defense Curl!" June clapped happily.

Trixa pointed her Pokedex at Tepig.

_**Defense Curl. This move raises the Defense of the user.**_

"Defense Curl! Defense Curl!" Trixa cheered, jumping in the air.

Tepig uncurled himself and glared at Pansear, breathing hard, but managing a determined smile.

"Wait, but I didn't say to use that!" Trixa gasped, no longer smiling or leaping for joy. "Is he disobeying me?"

"No. He just learned that move! He must be at that level from the battle experience he's been gaining!" June explained.

"Oh! In that case, that's just fine!" Trixa laughed.

Pansear yelled out angrily and ran towards Tepig, swiping at the air with Fury Swipes.

"Tepig! Go for it! Tackle it right now!" Trixa said.

"Tepiiiiig!" Tepig took the first couple of slashes from Pansear, bouncing along the ground, but got back up, tackling Pansear.

Pansear rolled head over heels, backwards, and then laid on its back, groaning.

"I think this is the time! Oh my gosh!" Trixa said in shock. She reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a Poke Ball. "Okay. Like this." She pressed the center button and made the ball bigger. "And then you go like this!" She tossed the Poke Ball at Pansear as it bared its teeth, trying to get to its feet.

The Poke Ball hit Pansear on the head, opened, and sucked it inside with a red beam. It hit the ground and the center button was a deep red as it shook on the ground repeatedly.

It continued to shake.

And shake.

And shake.

And shake.

_PING!_

The red light faded and turned white, and the Poke Ball remained still on the ground!

Trixa stared in shock at the Poke Ball.

I smiled and looked at Trixa.

June smiled and looked at Trixa, and then turned to me.

Tepig was breathing hard from his battle, staring at the Poke Ball.

Trixa remained gaping at her Poke Ball.

"Congratulations!" I congratulated her.

"Trixa, you did wonderful!" June said.

Tepig looked up at his trainer and watched her silently, catching his breath.

Trixa remained motionless, staring at her Poke Ball on the ground, but didn't smile or move at all.

"Trixa? You okay?" I asked.

Trixa remained still.

About five more minutes had passed, all of us in silence.

"TRIXA!" I shouted at her, getting impatient.

"Huh?" she said, looking up at me.

"What is wrong with you? You caught your Pokemon!" I said impatiently.

"Huh? What? I did?" She looked down at the Poke Ball and gasped. Running to it, she lifted it in the air. "I… I… _I DID IT!_ I caught my very first Pokemon! I actually did it! There's no way! I won! I won! I won!"

"Te...!" Tepig cried out happily. "Pig…" Tepig collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

"Oh, my Tepig!" Trixa cried out. She placed her new Poke Ball on her belt and picked up her Tepig in her arms. Turning to me, she said with a smile, "Is Accumula Town nearby? I think Tepig needs a rest there."

I checked the Town Map. "Actually, we should be there in about fifteen minutes if we move quickly enough."

"Oh, that's great!" Trixa said happily.

"We can heal both of your new Pokemon," I nodded.

"That's right!" Trixa agreed.

I smiled at her.

Trixa smiled back, looking at me with her eyes that seemed to twinkle back at me.

"Uh… Are we going or what?" June asked, breaking my attention.

I turned to her. "Yeah! Stop wasting time!" I snapped.

"What? _ME?!_" June said with a mortified look on her face. "I wasn't ev-"

"Come on!" I shouted, interrupting her, and ran forward, Trixa running quickly alongside me, June behind us, calling for us to slow down.

The three of us were on our way to Accumula Town, where Trixa was going to compete for her first badge.

I still had not one clue of what I was going to be doing during my time in the Unova Region. I still felt like I hadn't made any independent choices regarding what would be going on in my life since after making the choice to run out of my house after the refrigerator attacked my mom.

In due time, I'd find out how much control I had over my life.

In due time, I'd find out how little control I had over my life.

But for now.

In due time.

We'd be arriving in Accumula Town.


	6. Contact Highs

"According to your Town Map, there's something called the Battle Club here!" June said, looking down at the Town Map in her hands.

"What's the Battle Club?" I asked.

"It's a place where trainers can practice against other Pokemon Trainers!" June informed me. "You get to even choose what type of Pokemon you want to battle against! It's great practice, the way you want to practice!"

"Oh. I guess that sounds cool," I said, and looked over at Trixa.

A strong wind blew, fluttering Trixa's blue skirt and white shirt with pink and white flower designs on it, her hair blowing behind her. She crossed her arms and stared at the town we stood in.

Accumula Town was a huge place that resembled more of a city than any town I'd ever seen in Kanto. Huge buildings were several feet apart, and they all looked like they contained important things inside. The buildings were of different length, width, and color, and all had floor after floor of windows all around. I wondered what these buildings could be holding inside. Steps led up to a couple of the buildings, a couple of metal handrails alongside them. The town was a quiet one, with no one outside at the moment and no signs of life.

"I don't want to waste any time," Trixa said, shaking her head. "I'd rather just go battle against the Gym Leader here."

"Yeah," I agreed. "That sounds like a fine idea to me, too."

Trixa smiled at me, but I didn't return it, looking away from her pretty smile to the ground and just nodded.

"But, the Battle Club is a hot spot for Pokemon battles!" June continued. "It'd be a great place to test out your battling skills and prepare yourself! You could even battle a Poison type trainer!"

"Nah," Trixa smiled at June. "That's boring. I just want to get right into the battles! Our Pokemon are all healed up and Tepig and Pansear are gonna win me my first badge! I can't waste time practicing and stuff. Let's just give it a shot. I'm really excited!"

June smiled caringly. "I understand that, believe me. But you don't want to be too eager and not be prepared. There's nothing wrong with-"

Trixa was already walking away from June, a calm smile on her face, a faraway look in her eyes. "Where do you think the gym is?"

June's shoulders slumped and she turned to me, a hurt look on her face.

I smiled and gently took the Town Map from June. "Maybe this girl isn't as bad as I thought," I said in a low voice accompanied with a wink, and followed after Trixa, looking at the Town Map. "It's this way, Trixa!" I called out to her, though she was right next to me. Based on my limited experience with her, I figured I may have to yell to grab Trixa's attention.  
Her eyes widened and she looked into mine.

I felt uncomfortable in her gaze and quickly walked past her, leading the way to the Accumula Gym.

Trixa's long, ravishing, flowing hair. Her glittery eyes atop her little nose. The smile her lips created for no given reason.

I shook my head, focusing on the Town Map. Where's that damn gym? I thought angrily. I don't even like Trixa. That gym must be nearby. Trixa's hardly even cute. Just a little bit of a distance to go until we're at the gym. Trixa's sort of cute. I don't care! I looked up and saw, close by, a short, deep purple building. Staring back down at the map, and then looking up, my pace began to quicken. "This has to be it, I think!" I said loudly.

"WOOOO!" Trixa exclaimed, and ran past me, stopping in front of the building and gazing up at it.

June and I ran together and stopped by Trixa's side as she reached for the doorknob and turned it, opening the door.

A metal, cone-shaped stand that barely reached my chest, a huge, red and white Poke Ball made of the same material attached to the top of it, stood right in front of the building. Glancing at it quickly, I saw that it read: _**Accumula Town Pokemon Gym,**_ on the stand in shiny black letters.

So, this is definitely it, I thought as Trixa led the way inside of the building.

We all stopped and looked around. None of us spoke. We just stared in shock.

This place couldn't be the gym! It was a mess! The floor was wooden, and white ash was all over it. Tarp was laid over most of the floor. Open paint cans, covered in paint, sat on the tarp.

Painters were on ladders, painting the walls black, while other people on the ground were hammering away at the floor and others were using drills on the walls.

"Is this really a gym?" I asked.

"This place doesn't even look done!" June said in shock. "You said they opened up only a few months ago, right?"

I checked the Town Map. "Yeah. The Town Map says it's been in use for four months!"

"Ew! This is gross. I'm leaving." Trixa turned around and tried to walk by June and I.

"Hold on!" I said, grabbing her shoulder.

"I don't like it here," Trixa complained. "I want to go somewhere else."

"Let's just give it a chance, okay?" I suggested. "Let's try and see what's going on here, first."

"Hello, visitors," a gentle voice said from my left.

The three of us turned to see a short young man with purple hair which leaned across his left eye. He smiled slyly at us and straightened himself up, but he hardly reached my chin. He was wearing a button up, purple shirt over his black jeans, his black belt barely visible, and dark purple sneakers. "My name is Bane. I'm the Poison type Gym Leader of Accumula Town."

"This _is_ the gym?" I asked, shocked.

Bane nodded. "Yes. We're just renovating the place right now."

"You may be cute and all, but you really ought to know a little something about presentation," Trixa said, staring at Bane angrily, crossing her arms.

My heart beat faster at her words. She called him cute, I thought. I felt a strange feeling in my chest.

Bane smiled and snickered. "I apologize. Who are you three visitors, anyway? Challengers?"

"No," I said quickly. "Just her." I nodded towards Trixa.

Bane extended a hand to her, and they shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you. What's your name?"

"My name is Trixa," Trixa smiled, stepping closer to Bane. "I've come from Mistralton City, all the way here just to have a battle with you and the other gym leaders of Unova!"

"Wow! Mistralton City is quite a long ways from here," Bane said, his eyes wide as he looked up at Trixa. "Such determination. I commend you. I'll happily battle you. I don't get many challengers here." He walked away from us.

"Well, that's no surprise," Trixa responded. "Like I said, presentation, sir."

Bane chuckled before turning his head back to us. "I welcome you to my gym, Trixa. My Pokemon should be glad to crush yours right through the walls."

"Huh?" Trixa gasped.

Bane continued walking a short distance away from us before he stopped and turned around, a huge smile on his face, showing his teeth. He raised his arms, his hands extending to the ceiling.

At once, a couple of workers hammering the floorboards turned and placed their hammers on the ground. They reached out and pulled the tarp back until more of the floor was visible. As they released the tarp, they turned back around and continued with their hammering.

I could now see that the floor had a familiar, large, white painting in the middle of it.

The outline of the battlefield.

"Why do you think we are renovating the building?" Bane called out to us. "We annihilate our foes completely at this gym, and this is where you shall receive your loss! Are you ready, little girl?"

Trixa tilted her head and scratched it as she looked at Bane, a confused look on her face. "Little girl? But, I'm taller than you."

Bane's face fell in shock.

"Trixa!" I said angrily.

"What?" She turned to me.

I sighed. "Never mind. Good luck."

One of the painters was climbing down the ladder, and he placed his brush in one of the buckets of paint before walking over to us. His face had splashes of black on it, a very serious glare in Trixa's direction. "Welcome to Accumula Town Gym!" the man announced. "I shall act as the referee for this match between Accumula Town's Gym Leader, Bane, and Mistralton City's Trixa! This will be a two-on-two Pokemon battle without a time limit! The Gym Leader, Bane, is not allowed to switch Pokemon, but the challenger may. The first to lose both of their Pokemon is defeated. Let the battle begin!"

Bane grabbed a Poke Ball from his belt and enlarged it. "Trubbish, you're up first!" He threw the Poke Ball.

A Pokemon was sent out onto the field amongst the noise around us from the workers. The creature gave Trixa an angry look, seeming ready for battle. It looked like a small black bag of trash. "Trubbish!"

I pulled out my Pokedex, as did Trixa, and I focused on what mine told me about the new Pokemon.

_**Trubbish. The Trash Bag Pokemon. This Pokemon typically smells very foul. Once it has befriended someone, it will not smell bad around that person. Caution should be taken around this Pokemon, as they can belch poisonous gas.**_

"I'll start off with the best! Tepig!" Trixa cried, and sent out her Pokemon.

"Tepig! Tepig!" Tepig cried.

"I insist, you go first," Bane nodded.

Trixa's hands went to her cheeks as she blushed. "How sweet of you!"

"You should be allowed one hit before I end this battle swiftly," Bane said, his smile fading as he sneered at Trixa.

Trixa's hands fell to her sides and she let out a cry, taking a step back.

"Trixa, don't let him psyche you out!" I encouraged her.

"Believe in your Pokemon!" June added. "Focus!"

Trixa turned to June and I and nodded, her face showing determination. "Tepig, start it off with Tail Whip attack!"  
Tepig ran forward and whipped at Trubbish with his tail.

Trubbish cried out and swiped at Tepig.

"And that's your turn," Bane said seriously. "Time to end this! DoubleSlap!"

Trubbish slapped Tepig repeatedly, forcing him back.  
"Tepig! Don't go down! Please! Use Tackle this time!"

Tepig ran forward and slammed into Trubbish, forcing it back.

Trubbish groaned from the strong hit.

A few of the workers stopped working and turned to watch the battle.

"Trubbish, Poison Gas!"

Trubbish's mouth seemed to be filled with something, and it coughed it up at Tepig, a dark cloud of gas surrounding Tepig.

"Tepig!" Trixa cried out.

"Tepig! Tep! Tepig!" Tepig choked against the smoke. Once it cleared, Tepig's face was flushed with purple.

"He's Poisoned!" I said.

"Now end this with Sludge attack!" Bane called out, smiling.

"Tepiiiiig!" Trixa screamed, closing her eyes, her hands to her face as her body flinched, refusing to watch.

"Trubbish!" Trubbish cried out and opened its mouth, sending out several balls of sludge at Tepig.

"PIIIIIG!" Tepig screamed as he flew through the air, landing hard, and flinched in pain from the Poison in his body.

"_TRIXA!_" June shrieked, grabbing everyone's attention at once.

Trixa gasped and turned around, her eyes filled with tears, and looked at June.

June didn't say a word.

Trixa stared back at her silently. "June?" she said fearfully.

June gave Trixa an angry look, but didn't speak, the look of a vicious attack on its way, all over her face.

Trixa's eyes widened and she slowly nodded. She wiped at her eyes and turned back to the battle.

Tepig was on his side, breathing hard.

"It's time to finish this battle! Another Sludge attack!" Bane shouted.

"A Status problem doesn't end a match!" Trixa said strongly. She took a deep breath. "This isn't over, Tepig!"

Tepig struggled to his feet, groaning, his legs quaking, his eyes closed.

Trubbish let out a loud cry and used another Sludge attack.

"Tepig! I said this isn't over! Don't give up on yourself!"

Tepig's eyes opened as the Sludge balls hit the ground around him. With a loud shout, he made a quick run to the side, dodging the remaining attacks that hit the ground.

"It's actually up!" Bane said with noticeable surprise. "Sludge attack again! Don't let up!"

Trubbish followed its trainers orders with a barrage of Sludge balls from its mouth.

"Tepig, dodge it!"

Tepig ran past one of the attacks, but then flinched from the Poison, dropping to the ground, groaning in pain.

"_Tepig!_" Trixa screamed.

Tepig looked up as more of the disgusting sludge fell down, heading straight for him. He glared at the attacks and stood up, and began to stomp on the ground with his feet, repeatedly. "Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig!"

"Tepig! What are you doing? Watch out!" Trixa begged.

"Tepig!" Tepig's body was surrounded by flames and he flew forward at the last second, dodging the Sludge attacks, and, looking like a flaming fireball, charged right into Trubbish.

Trubbish screamed out in pain as it was knocked over onto its back.

The flames around Tepig's body disappeared, and he stared at Trubbish, breathing hard.

"Trubbish is unable to battle! Tepig is the winner!" the referee declared, raising a hand at Trixa.

Trixa gasped repeatedly, backing up several feet, and then stumbling forward several feet, back and forth repeatedly for about a minute before finally stopping and she let out an excited squeal. "TEPIG! YOU WON! YOU WON! You did it, Tepig! One down! Just one more to go! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Tepig!" Tepig gasped, clearly exhausted.

Trixa pulled out her Pokedex and pointed it at Tepig.

_**Flame Charge. The user is consumed by flames and tackles the foe. This move boosts the user's Speed.**_

"Oh! How cool! Tepig knows a new move again! I can't believe this! Yay!" Trixa bounced on the ground with delight.

I smiled, watching Trixa in her excitement.

Bane's face looked pale as he looked down at Trubbish, his mouth open in shock, his eyes in disbelief. He swallowed and looked up at Trixa before straightening his face and clearing his throat. "Come back, Trubbish. Thank you." He returned his Pokemon and grabbed his second Poke Ball. "Quite lucky. You have the type advantage against my next Pokemon, but your Tepig is ready to call it quits. You'll now face my very best! I choose Whirlipede!"

From out of Bane's Poke Ball came a Pokemon that gave me the shivers.

"Whirlipede!" it cried out.

"It's a Bug!" I accused, pointing at it. Just great. A disgusting, nasty, Bug! I grabbed my arms and rubbed them as goose bumps began to crawl on them. I just knew this was a Bug type. It just had to be.

Trixa pulled out her Pokedex.

_**Whirlipede. The Curlipede Pokemon. Venipede's evolved form. This Pokemon remains still unless it is attacked, which is when it will fight back. Contact with this Pokemon may result in getting Poisoned.**_

"Alright! Ember, Tepig!" Trixa called out.

"Tepiiiig!" Tepig shouted, and from his snout, flames flew for Whirlipede, surrounding it.

Whirlipede shouted out in pain as the attack did a lot of damage to it.

"Not so fast!" Bane said. "Rollout!"

Before the flames around Whirlipede died out, it burst from the fire, spinning rapidly.

"Meet it with Flame Charge!" Trixa called out quickly.

Tepig stomped in place again, his body quickly surrounded by fire, and he flew out at Whirlipede.

Both Pokemon collided into each other at once, each one taking a Super Effective hit.

"Whirlipede!" Whirlipede cried, bouncing along the ground.

"Oh, no!" Bane said sadly.

Tepig's cry rang out loudly as he soared through the air and finally landed on his back. "Tepig…"

"Tepig is unable to battle! Whirlipede is the winner!" the referee stated, waving to Bane.

"HA! I KNEW IT! Whirlipede, you did it!" Bane took me by surprise as he leaped in the air repeatedly, laughing and congratulating his Whirlipede, who bounced in place at its trainer's praise.

"Oh, my poor Tepig!" Trixa complained. "You did so well, too! Return!"

Tepig was returned to his Poke Ball.

"Now that your Fire type is out, I'm curious to see what you'll use now against my Bug type Pokemon," Bane smirked.

Trixa grabbed her second Poke Ball. "All I have left is this one." She threw her Poke Ball to the field.

"Pansear!" Pansear said happily.

"_Pansear?!_" Bane screamed, his face a mix of anger and shock.

"Yeah. Pansear's Fire, too, I think." Trixa pulled out her Pokedex.

_**Pansear. The High Temp Pokemon. The tuft on its head can reach six hundred degrees when angered. It is considered very intelligent. This Pokemon is of the Fire type.**_

"Yup! Fire type!" Trixa smiled, putting her Pokedex away.

I covered my face in embarrassment. Is she serious with that? I wondered. Yes. Of course she is.

"Now, Pansear! Oh, wait!" Trixa pulled out her Pokedex again and stared at it for a few seconds. "Okay, you can do Incinerate! GOOOOO!"

"WHIRLIPEEEEDE!" Bane screamed, his face containing horror.

Whirlipede flew out at Pansear, attacking with Rollout, as a large flame came from Pansear's mouth, covering the Bug entirely.

It wasn't long before the flame died out and Pansear stared calmly down at Whirlipede's beaten body.

"Whirlipede is unable to battle! Pansear is the winner! This battle goes to Trixa from Mistralton City!" the referee said loudly.

Trixa's mouth dropped open wide as she looked at the battlefield in disbelief.

Bane's lips quivered and he looked down sadly.

The workers around us all clapped and called out their congratulations to Trixa.

Pansear turned around to Trixa. "Pansear!" it cried out happily.

Trixa dropped to her knees, hard, but she didn't seem to be bothered by the fall. "Pansear!" She extended her arms.

"Pansear!" The fire monkey ran to Trixa and leaped into her arms.

Trixa stood up and spun around in circles, laughing excitedly. "Yay! You did it! Pansear, you did it! You won! I can't believe my first gym battle was a success!" She stopped spinning and waved at the cheering workers in the area, giggling, before leaping in the air and spinning at the same time, landing, and then running around in a circle with her Pansear in her arms.

Bane silently returned his Whirlipede, and then wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. He stepped up to Trixa and looked at her as she ran around continuously in front of him. His eyes seemed to be twinkling behind tears.  
What's wrong with him? I wondered.

"Excuse me?" he asked politely.

Trixa continued to run around rapidly.

"TRIXA!" I yelled.

"Huh?" She stopped running and turned to me.

Pansear was looking dizzy in Trixa's arms.

I pointed at Bane, and Trixa turned to him. "Oh! Hey there, cutie!"

I felt another strange feeling in my chest at her words.

Bane smiled a bit and reached in his jeans, pulling out a small object. He held it out to Trixa in his open palm.

It was an object in several zigzag patterns, repeated colors of red and purple all throughout it, outlined in gold.

"Congratulations, Trixa. You have won the Toxin Badge."

"Oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my!" Trixa cried out ecstatically. "My first ever badge! _Wait!_"

Trixa returned her Pansear to its Poke Ball and took off her bag. She opened it and dug through it, finally standing up with a little white box with glitter all over it, sparkling in her hands.

She has a ton of food in her bag, I noticed. I never knew that. She must have taken it with her when she left home. All this time, June and I have been worrying about where our next meal would be coming from, eating what little food we have left, sparingly, as if it's the last remaining food on the planet, and this girl has food to snack on! I turned to June and saw that she was also looking at Trixa's open bag.

Trixa took the Toxin Badge from Bane and opened the box in her hands. I realized that the box she was holding was actually a fancy badge case! The inside was pink and empty. She pushed her first badge inside of the case, the bottom of it easily taking form around the badge. She closed the case, kissed it, and placed it back inside of her bag.

"Congratulations, Trixa," I smiled, extending my hand.

Trixa cried out happily and wrapped her arms around me in a huge hug.

I was taken by surprise, and hugged her back. I got a good whiff of her hair, which smelled like strawberries, roses, and sugar.

It had been a while before I noticed that Bane was staring at us, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Um…" I heard June say.

"June!" Trixa released me and wrapped June in a hug.

June's eyes widened in surprise and she hugged Trixa back, smiling happily.

"Are you two dating?" Bane asked me with a smile.

"What? Me and who?" I asked frantically.

"You and Trixa," Bane replied.

"NO!" I screamed quickly.

"Oh. Well, that hug you had lasted nearly five minutes," Bane chuckled. "Pretty long for even a married couple!"

"We were there for that long…?" I asked him, taken back. I had no idea. I guess I had gotten lost in… NO! I shook my head hard, refusing to allow myself to finish that sentence.

"So you're dating the redhead?" Bane asked.

"I'M NOT DATING ANYONE!" I yelled at him angrily.

"Okay, okay," Bane said, raising his hands. "Take it easy." He turned to June and Trixa. "Looks like they're having their own hugging session."

I turned to the two girls and saw that they hadn't let go of each other, June looking around in confusion now.

I guess her hugging me for so long wasn't anything special, I thought, my heart thumping strangely. Just another one of her strange behaviors.

Bane sighed behind me and walked away from us.

I turned and watched as he left the gym, his head down. "Bane?" I called after him. "Bane!"

Something was wrong.

I ran after the gym leader. "Bane! Hold on!"

The doors to the gym opened a moment later, June and Trixa running to keep up with me.

Bane wiped at his eyes and I heard him sniffle.

"Huh?" I grabbed his shoulder gently. "Bane, are you crying?"

Bane sniffled again and wiped at his eyes, sharply yanking his shoulder free from my grasp. "Please. Don't."

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "But, why are you crying?"

"It's nothing," he answered, wiping his eyes again. Bane lowered his hand and took a deep breath before turning to me. A forced smile was on his face, but his eyes twinkled in the sunlight from tears.

"Bane, what happened?" I demanded, concerned. "Why are you so upset? What's wrong? Is it about that battle?"

Bane's smile faded and he looked at the ground.

"You made it sound like you were so tough, and yet your battle ended fairly fast. Are you disappointed? Sometimes, a trainer comes along and takes you by complete surprise. Don't be-"

"Yeah, that battle was easy," Trixa commented.

"Trixa!" I said angrily.

"What? That's exactly what you said!" Trixa said, turning to me.

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"No! You're not listening to me!"

"I heard you perfectly clear! You said the match ended fast for me! It was easy!"

"I didn't say it was easy!"

"You might as well have!"

"Will you butt out?!"

"You're talking about me? Why should I?"  
June sighed loudly and shook her head.

"Please! Please! You two, stop!" Bane pleaded. He crossed his arms and sighed. "I understand perfectly. Allow me to explain to all of you." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Bane is defined as something that causes distress or can annoy. It is often referred to as a poison. That was the name I desired to be called. It was intimidating, and sounded pretty cool to me."

"You mean, your name's not really Bane?" I asked.

The man nodded. "My name is really Ike. That name's not scary, or even cool. I opened the first gym in Accumula Town only four months ago and went with the name Bane. My losses were as embarrassing as the one I had today with Trixa. I've never won a battle before since I became a Gym Leader. Not even once."

"You mean you suck like that normally?" Trixa asked.

"Trixa! Shut up!" I gave her a furious look.

"I was just asking!" she yelled at me, and turned her back to me, crossing her arms.

Ike managed a smile. "Yes. I'm afraid I'm not the best trainer out there. I thought maybe I could renovate the gym to look more intimidating and seem tougher. It's not in any bad shape at all. No Pokemon have been smashed through that gym so bad that it needed fixing. I made that all up. I talked about my Pokemon as if they were so tough, but they obviously aren't. I thought that by hyping us up, maybe we'd have more confidence and strength and win. I'm sorry I lied to you guys. I'm a failure as a Gym Leader. Perhaps this isn't the path I should have taken."

June stepped up to Ike and took him by surprise, pulling him into a hug.

Ike hesitantly hugged her back.

"Ike, I understand," June said to him comfortingly. "I was in your shoes, once. I used to be a Gym Leader in the Kanto Region."

Trixa gasped and turned around. "You used to be a Gym Leader?"

June let go of Ike and turned to Trixa, smiling. "Yes," she nodded. "I was the Electric Gym Leader. I also lost all the time, and eventually left my duties as a Gym Leader."

"Wow…" Trixa said. "You're a weak trainer, too?"

June scowled at her.

"Are all Gym Leaders supposed to be weak trainers?"

"I am not weak! I just needed some work, and I still do!" June said angrily. "I've grown quite a lot since back then. Trixa, you're going to learn that there are many strong trainers out there, and that Gym Leaders are amongst the best battlers out there. You did well against Ike, but I warn you to keep your guard up."

"Well, I've only lost to Ella so far, and that was due to a mistake on my part. She's not even a Gym Leader. I really must be getting better!"

"You are, Trixa," June said seriously. "But it will only get a lot harder from here on. When we reach Striaton City, we'll see another Gym Leader there, and we'll see how well you do."

"Ah! Cilan, Cress, and Chili!" Ike mentioned. "They're good. Seems you chose Tepig as your Starter Pokemon, so you'll be battling Cress, the Water Trainer. Good luck!"

"Why do I have to battle the Water Trainer?" Trixa asked.

"That's how that gym works," Ike explained. "Depending on who you chose as your Starter in Unova, you battle the trainer who has the type advantage."

Trixa snickered. "Sounds like they're weak and need an advantage to win, but I believe in my Pokemon!" She smiled at June.

June sighed, but managed a nod and smiled back. "Good."

"I wish you luck, Trixa. You are a good trainer," Ike told her.

"Thank you," Trixa nodded.

June turned to Ike. "As for you, do not give up on your dream. This isn't the end. Stick with it. Take some time off if you'll be allowed to and work on yourself as a trainer with your Pokemon. Improve together, as a team. Together." June grabbed Ike's shoulders and stared deeply into his eyes. "But no matter what, remember that you and your Pokemon are friends. That comes first before anything else. Throw away the life of a Gym Leader if you must, but never sacrifice your friendship with your Pokemon. It means everything to you, and to them. Your Pokemon love you dearly and will do anything for you, and they trust in you as their trainer. I beg you not to ruin that for power…"

Ike squinted at June, confused, but nodded. "Of course not. I love them. I'll never break our bond."

"Remember that you said that," June said softly, and she let go of Ike, taking a few steps back.

Ike continued to stare at June, and then looked up, past June. "Hey. Where is she going?"  
I turned around. "Trixa!" I called to her.

She was skipping away from us, fast.

"Where is she going?" I wondered out loud, exasperated. I turned to Ike. "Thank you again, Ike. Good luck!" I ran after Trixa. "Trixa!"

"Bye, Ike! Take care!" June shouted, and ran after me.

"Thanks for sharing your food with us," I said with a mouthful of unsalted crackers.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" June scolded me. She smiled at Trixa. "Thank you, honey." She then put a cracker in her mouth and ate it.

"Well, all you guys had to do was ask," Trixa explained. "I have a bit of money and I packed some food before I left."

The three of us had left the Pokemon Center several hours ago after healing Trixa's Pokemon and eating dinner at the cafeteria downstairs. Trixa and June had both made a separate phone call afterwards, but it was Trixa's call that made my heart pound continuously as I didn't know who she was calling.

Was she calling Prof. Juniper? was my immediate concern.

June had gotten off of the phone before Trixa, and when she walked over to me, I told her that we were definitely going to ditch Trixa if she was calling Prof. Juniper.

When Trixa walked over to us, she said that her family was doing well and was proud that she had obtained her first badge, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief. Her next statement, that Prof. Juniper was also pleased with her accomplishments earning her first badge so easily and catching two Pokemon, made my heart stop, and I was just about to run away, but Trixa then told us, gasping in deep surprise, that she had forgotten to tell Prof. Juniper that June and I were traveling with her, causing her to run back to the phone to call Prof. Juniper back.

June and I held her back, laughing casually, letting her know that it was no big deal and that she could tell Prof. Juniper the next time we were in a Pokemon Center, though June and I exchanged relieved glances that Trixa's absentminded behavior paid off for once.

Trixa didn't mention anything about Prof. Juniper asking her about me and June's whereabouts, which surprised me since we had run away from her after she had gone to give me a Pokedex. I didn't ask Trixa about it, though. If Prof. Juniper had forgotten about me, it was better that way.

Now, we were all leaning against a tree trunk, sitting amongst crispy, dead leaves, looking up at the stars above us under an enormous blanket Trixa had with her. Trixa's bag was filled with all kinds of snacks, but none of them had any flavor to them. They were all crackers and sweets without any sugar, salt, or taste to them at all, but it was better than starving.

It was about three in the morning, give or take, and we had been discussing June's previous time as a Gym Leader, none of us able to sleep. June told Trixa about her struggles as a Gym Leader and her leaving to travel with me to learn about Pokemon, and Trixa was surprised, eager for me to tell her my secrets that she felt that I knew about how to raise Pokemon.

I had explained that I didn't know any secrets, and I was unable to really explain anything. I just cared a lot for my Pokemon and did what came natural.

Trixa wasn't satisfied with this answer and bugged me for a better one until June interrupted, asking Trixa how she felt after her gym battle.

Trixa eagerly discussed the match she had with Ike. She told us how terrified she was before she even entered the gym. She said that she was afraid to even send out her first Pokemon and wasn't sure who to use. She relived when she didn't know what the best attacks to use would be, and how afraid she was of the moves Ike used against her since she had never battled such Pokemon before, nor seen such moves used against her. She explained the fear of encouraging Tepig to get back up to battle, afraid that he might not be healthy enough to fight, and that she didn't want to push him too hard. She excitedly spoke on knocking out Ike's first Pokemon, and then later, his second one, and the feeling that rushed through her when she held her first badge in her hand.

As Trixa spoke, I recalled my first badge at the Obsidian City Gym back in Kanto. It was a fake badge, and a fake gym battle, but at the time, I had thought it was real, and all of Trixa's descriptions about winning her first badge reflected my feelings back then exactly.

I missed that feeling at that moment.

I wanted it again.

At least one more time.

Yes, I thought. Just once more.

As June and Trixa fell asleep on opposite sides of me, leaning on me, breathing softly, I made up my mind.

I was going to travel through the Unova Region with June and Trixa.

I was going to collect the eight badges of the Unova Region.

I was going to compete in the Unova League.

I had nothing better to do, after all.

But first…

I had to capture a Pokemon….


	7. More Than Meets The Liepard Part 1 Of 2

"Me and Ella are more like neighbors than we are actual friends," Trixa explained to me as the three of us traveled through the woods of Route 2 together. "I saw her a lot, growing up, and we even went to the same school, but we never really hung out much."

My eyes were on the path before us, walking in front of June and Trixa, each girl on either side of me.

"It had already been set that I'd be receiving my Starter Pokemon when I turned ten," Trixa said. "About two months before that day, I ran into Ella. We said hi and whatnot, and I was going to continue on my way, but she stopped me and asked me to take a walk with her! I'm such a shy person and I really don't have any friends at all besides my family. That's why traveling with you two is so cool! No one ever wants to hang out with me. I guess I'm sort of antisocial or something."

Antisocial, I thought sarcastically. Yeah. _That's _the problem.

"Ella wanted to walk with me, and I was stunned," Trixa went on. "I agreed, and she asked me how I felt about Pokemon. Of course, I told her how much I adored them, and loved them, and wanted to cuddle all the cute little Pokemon in the world, and travel the world to meet as many as I could! She told me that she was considering traveling as a Pokemon Trainer. She didn't want to be one when she had turned ten, but she said that this year, she'd been considering it, but just wasn't sure."

My mind wandered away from Trixa's words for a moment and dwelled on Ella.

Her eyes. They may have very well been my most favorite thing about her. I thought about them every time I thought about her, which was quite possibly every day. She could very well be the most beautiful girl on the face of the planet.

A movement in the grass near me pulled me from my thoughts and made me turn around, but there was nothing to see but trees and grass.

"She's only two years older than I am," Trixa continued. "My mom and dad and five year old brother waited with me and Ella for a cab at Mistralton City and give me kisses and hugged me. I got to meet Ella's dad, too. He was there to say goodbye to her. Ella and I traveled in the taxi for about three hours before we reached Nuvema Town."

Silence greeted us as Trixa finished her words.

"I wonder where she went to," I said in a low voice.

"She's pretty cute, eh, Gary?" June smiled widely, nudging me in my ribs lightly with her elbow.

"Huh?" I cried out, feeling my face getting hot. "I dunno. What? What? What? I don't know! I wasn't looking!"

"That's rather rude to not look at someone when they're talking to you," Trixa mentioned innocently, staring at me. "Ella and you were talking together. You should have looked at her. I think you ought to apologize the next time you see her."

I scowled at her and looked away. "Yeah, sure," I muttered, extremely embarrassed by the bizarre turn this conversation had taken.

We continued to walk, and I could feel June's eyes on me, knowing she was smiling.

Trixa looked around the surrounding area we were in, gazing at the many trees and the grass crunching beneath our feet.

A strong gust of wind blew against us, making it a little bit harder to move forward.

"Weeeeeeeee!" Trixa exclaimed, and started spinning in place against the wind, moving forward into it, her arms extended.

June and I stopped at the same time and watched as Trixa spun around in a happy daze, her eyes closed, arms extended, mouth wide in a happy smile, moving forward.

"Should we do something?" June asked quietly.

"Yeah," I nodded, and pulled out the Town Map, scanning it quickly. "If we head back to Accumula Town, we can take a detour that leads to a place called Minousse Town."

"Huh?" June said, turning to me in confusion.

"From there, we can get to Rastail Town, and then there's a gym in the city right after that called Mixance City. I can try for my first badge there against-"

"Gary!" June said angrily, pushing me hard. "We are not ditching her! How horrible do you think she'd feel if her only friends left her like that? Didn't you just hear her story?"

We turned to Trixa, who was getting further ahead of us, still spinning around, flailing her arms.

"She probably won't even remember us, I'll bet," I said. "Besides, Ella's still her friend, right?"

"Your little crush?" June teased with a sly grin.

"She isn't even that cute! Get over it, idiot!" I snapped.

She snickered and turned to Trixa, who was getting further and further away from us. "We have to go after her before she gets hurt!"

"And?" I asked. "Ow!" I cried out as June slapped me in the back of my head.

Before June and I could move to go after Trixa, something flew out from the trees near her.

The bird looked over and cried out in surprise, getting smacked by one of Trixa's spinning hands, and it collapsed to the ground.

Trixa stopped spinning and looked down at it in shock, her hands rising to cover her mouth as she looked down at the bird with wide eyes.

"Hey!" I shouted as June gasped, and we ran together, stopping near the little pigeon. "It's a Pokemon?" I pulled out my Pokedex.

_**Pidove. The Tiny Pigeon Pokemon. This Pokemon is sometimes described as hard to raise to due to their habit of being forgetful.**_

"Oh, no!" Trixa cried as she knelt down next to the pigeon. "Are you okay?"

Pidove's eyes opened and it hopped up. It flapped its wings and rose into the air, crying out loudly at us, angrily. Its wings flapped hard and a strong gust of wind blew us all back onto our backs.

"He's using Gust attack!" June shouted as dust and dirt flew into my eyes.

Trixa was screaming.

I covered my face with my hands. If only I had my Pokemon with me, I thought.

The Gust ended and the three of us looked up as Pidove flew away, down the path.

"We can't let him get away!" I exclaimed as I got to my feet. "Come on!"

Trixa nodded with determination. "Pansear, after it!" She threw her Poke Ball and Pansear came flying out.

It soared into the air and grabbed a tree branch, swinging skillfully from branch to branch while the three of us followed it.

"Pansear, knock it down with Fury Swipes!"

Pansear swung from the branch it had grabbed and flew through the air after Pidove.

Pidove looked behind him and let out a loud cry as he saw Pansear raise its glowing paws and swipe at him several times, forcing the pigeon to the ground.

"Now, Paralyze it with Lick attack!" Trixa ordered.

Pansear stuck out its tongue and repeatedly licked Pidove's face.

Pidove twisted his body repeatedly and struggled underneath Pansear.

After several seconds of licking, Pansear stopped and turned around to Trixa. It shook its head. "Pansear! Pan!"

"Huh?" Trixa cocked her head at Pansear.

"I think Pidove might be resistant to that move," June said, pointing at the Pokemon. "Check out his type."

Trixa pulled out her Pokedex and scanned Pidove.

_**Pidove. The Tiny Pigeon Pokemon. They live near cities and are accustomed to civilization with humans. Their cries can get overwhelmingly loud in a group. This Pokemon is of the Normal and Flying type.**_

"There you go," June nodded. "Normal types resist Ghost moves like Lick attack."

"Ooohh… Well, then-"

Pidove struggled hard and managed to get Pansear off of him. In a flash of bright light, Pidove flew at Pansear and knocked it over.

"Quick Attack!" I shouted, pointing as Pidove flew into the air and used the move again, flying down and tackling Pansear just as it was getting to its feet.

Pansear growled and got back up again.

Trixa looked down at her Pokedex. "Leer!" Trixa said, not taking her eyes off of the Pokedex.

Pansear used Leer, causing Pidove to flap his wings hard as he backed away from Pansear.

Pidove suddenly used Leer, too, causing Pansear to cry out in shock and back up. He soared at Pansear once more with Quick Attack, forcing the red hot monkey onto its back.

"Pansear, use your Incinerate, now!" Trixa begged.

Pansear hopped up and attacked, catching Pidove with a stream of fire that surrounded his body as he soared into the sky.  
Pidove cried out loudly, falling back down to the ground.

"Yes!" Trixa said happily.

"Good one," I approved.

Pidove let out a low, tired coo, getting back up, and flapped his wings, ascending into the air.

Pansear was breathing heavily now, staring up at Pidove.

Both Pokemon looked exhausted.

"Pansear, Scratch attack!" Trixa yelled.

Pansear inhaled deeply and ran for Pidove, leaping at him and swiping hard.

Pidove fell back, rolling along the grass, and finally came to a stop on his stomach.

Trixa clapped happily, and then reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out a Poke Ball. She hesitated, and then, to my surprise, turned to me. "Here," she said, holding her Poke Ball out to me.

I stared at it in surprise. "Huh? What are you doing?"

"Well, I don't wanna catch it. You do it," Trixa said, taking a step closer to me. "You don't have any of your Pokemon with you. Have one!" She smiled.

I couldn't help but smile back. Her smile had captivated me. "No!" I snapped out of my daze, shaking my head. "That's your Pokemon, not mine. You capture it."

"No. This is for you," Trixa insisted. "You can't compete in the Unova League without earning your badges. You already missed out on your first badge at Accumula Town. You're only going to be able to compete with me at Striaton City if you capture a Pokemon." She grabbed my hand with her free hand and placed the Poke Ball in it, and then she got behind me and pushed me forward. "Do it!"

I felt chills at her touch, my gaze on the Pidove.

Pidove flinched as he started to get over the pain of the battle he was just in.

My time was up. It was now or never.

"Poke Ball! GO!" I threw the Poke Ball as hard as I could at Pidove.

Pidove's eyes opened and the Poke Ball slammed into his head, causing him to cry out.

The Poke Ball opened and a red beam pulled Pidove inside.

As the Poke Ball hit the floor, the center button glowed red as it shook on the ground.

My fists were tight at my sides.

The Poke Ball shook some more.

It shook a couple more times before…

_PING!_

"WHOA! NO WAY!" I cried with excitement. "We did it! HA!" I turned around and smiled broadly at Trixa.

Trixa looked up from the Poke Ball on the ground and into my eyes, smiling happily.

I pulled her into a tight hug, rocking her from side-to-side. "Thank you so much!"

"Aaaawww!" Trixa giggled. "Sure thing, Gary! You can be nice, after all!"

My tight hug loosened around her a bit and my smile vanished.

June giggled behind her, staring at me.

I released Trixa and smiled again. This was simply amazing. My very first Pokemon in Unova would be a Pidove. I could use him to catch other Pokemon and win badges! I turned to the Poke Ball and was ready to take a step towards it and retrieve my Pokemon, but a rustle in the grass made me stop.

"What was that?" June asked, turning to the noise.

"Is it another Pokemon?" Trixa asked. "After that last battle, I think maybe June should help you capture your second Pokemon. My Pansear needs a rest, and Tepig's all I've got left!" She returned her Pansear to its Poke Ball.

We all waited, but the only thing to be heard was the wind blowing cool air at us. The only thing to be seen moving was the grass moving to the desire of the sharp, blowing air, the dead leaves on the ground rustling around our feet, the branches in the trees shaking, the leaves whistling in the breeze.

I took a careful step towards the Poke Ball and then froze, my heart pounding hard, and then I took another step, paused again, and looked around.

Nothing out of the ordinary occurred.

The wind blew up again, dirt and leaves flying up, and I closed my eyes, feeling them tear up as something got in them. I wiped at them for a moment, trying to clear them out, and opened my eyes as they continued to tear a little bit, blinking, feeling something stinging against both of my eyeballs as I stared at the Poke Ball. Another step closer, and then another, and soon after that, I took a few more steps. Bending down, my hand outstretched towards the Poke Ball, my hand closed around it, and a smile spread on my face, my heart beating fast. My mouth opened to cry out my joy. "I…_AAAAHHHHHHHH!_"

Something black leaped out at me with a catlike screech.

I reached my arms up to protect myself as I screamed in fright and felt the sharp sting of pain on my right arm as the creature attacked me. The pain on my arm caused me to scream even louder as I backed up and stumbled to the ground.

Trixa and June screamed.

My arm stung painfully as I cowered behind it, the Poke Ball still in my hand, held tightly. What is that? I wondered, my arm throbbing. I could see something on the ground. Something dark. As I lowered my arm, I saw something heart wrenching laying there.

It was a cat. It cried out in a low purr, breathing painfully hard. Its ears were coated in blood. The body of the poor animal looked beaten, its fur missing in several places as if it had been under some kind of horrible attack it just barely managed to escape from. One of its eyes was closed and swollen, puffy and black. Its tail was twisted in an awkward manner, looking mangled. One of its back paws was twisted and clearly broken, facing outward, the bone still inside of the flesh, but poking up underneath it.

"What in the world…?" I gasped, my heart in my throat as I swallowed and approached the Pokemon. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I knelt down next to the Pokemon and stared at it, only about two feet away, and reached out gently towards its face.

"_Gary! Don't!_" I heard June shriek.

I froze, and before I could turn to face June, something much larger leaped from the grass and trees with a sharp screech, tackling me to the ground, forcing me onto my back. I screamed in terror in the face of a large feline as its face remained just an inch away from mine, its sharp claws digging into my shoulders, growling, its breath coming out strongly onto my face, smelling of something wet, humid, and foul. The animal's deadly sharp fangs bared at me, coated in saliva, a thin line of bubbles on its gums and between its fangs.

My breathing was rapid, but I tried not to breathe on the animal's face. I didn't want to upset it anymore than it already was. I guess I shouldn't have tried to touch that cat, I realized. They must be related. They look identical. These two things must be Pokemon. This large cat could be the evolved form of the smaller one. It must be.

Suddenly, the creature looked away from me and let out a loud screech.

Hearing June and Trixa's screams, I turned my head to see Trixa with her arms around June's waist, her face filled with terror, and June with her bag on the ground, a Poke Ball in her hand, ready to throw it, but instead, she frozen with a look of fear on her face like Trixa.

The beast on top of me screeched a terrifying cry again, and June wrapped her arms around Trixa, shivering with fear.

What Pokemon is this? I wondered as I trembled beneath it. Why is it attacking me? What's wrong with the little one?

The smaller cat Pokemon let out a mournful cry, causing the larger cat on top of me to look back at it. It then turned back to me and growled before slowly backing off of me, and I noticed that something was wrong with its right back leg because it hobbled on it as it made its way over to the little kitten, nuzzling its nose against it and licking its face gently.

I shook all over as I slowly pushed myself up, the huge cat immediately looking at me as I moved. I froze, the big cat keeping its eyes on me.

There wasn't a word spoken for a long while.

My arm was still throbbing painfully, but I ignored it in this terrifying situation.

The large feline made a series of screeching noises at me, saying its name repeatedly in the process, a ferocious look on its face the entire time. It made these scary noises for several minutes before going into a growling state, and finally, silence.

I didn't take my eyes off it, having no clue what it wanted.

"No," I heard a frightened voice whisper.

I turned to the voice and saw June shaking her head, her eyes filled with tears, both her and Trixa still holding onto each other.

The big cat turned to June and growled.

The small kitten twitched and moaned.

"That little kitten," I said in a shaky, low voice, grabbing the larger cat's attention.

"No, Gary," June's voice quaked. She spoke in a louder, stronger tone, but it was still coated in fright.

"Huh?" I said, turning to her as the huge cat turned to June again and let out a shrill, angry cry.

"That's a Liepard," June said, pulling Trixa in closer to her. "That mean looking thing is a Liepard, otherwise known as the Cruel Pokemon. That other thing is his pre evolved form, Purrloin, also known as the Devious Pokemon. They're both Dark type Pokemon and it's common knowledge in Unova not to trust either one of them."

My mouth dropped open hearing June's words and I turned to the two Pokemon.

The Liepard was growling at June.

Purrloin was motionless on the ground.

"That Leipard wants your help," June said, still shaking her head. "He claims that his baby was beaten by a group of Pokemon Trainers trying to capture her. He claims he protected his child, but was distracted when one of the kids used a powerful Pokemon against him. While battling this Pokemon, the other kids got around him and began chasing his child. The Pokemon he was battling blocked his path and made it impossible for him to get to his child. Only, at this point, they didn't want to capture his child. They now planned on attacking her. They beat her with thick sticks and stomped on her, tossed her about, and seemed intent on killing her. He managed to defeat the opposing Pokemon and scare off the kids with a powerful Hyper Beam attack, and for the past two days, he has been seeking help. According to that thing, we're the first travelers he's come by, and he's begging for assistance from us. He claims his own leg is injured as well from the fight with that Pokemon they used against him."

I stared at Liepard, and then down at the poor little Purrloin, my eyes tearing up quickly.

Purrloin wasn't moving, remaining face down on the ground.

"Of course we'll help you!" I exclaimed, getting to my feet. "OUCH!" I cried, grabbing my arm, which only made it hurt even more. It had several cuts in it and blood was showing on my skin, but it wasn't running, yet. I turned back to Leipard. "Of course we'll help you. We can take you and your baby to Striaton City and help you both at the Pokemon Center there."

"NO!" June ran to me and glared at me, looking into my eyes.

"Excuse me?" I said in confusion.

"We have to get out of here, away from those things!" June yelled at me.

My eyes bulged out in shock at her. "What do you mean?"

"We are not trusting those two! Did you not hear what I said about them? Devious and Cruel Pokemon! They're not to be trusted! I know about these two Pokemon already, Gary! Just ask your Pokedex!"

"I don't need to check my Pokedex to know that the Purrloin is in need of help from us!" I screamed at her. "Have you lost your mind?! _Look at it!_"

June and I looked past the growling Liepard and over at the Purrloin.

One of her blood soaked ears twitched.

I gasped. "Come on! We have to help her!" I stepped towards Purrloin.

"I said no!" June said in a strong, angry tone that I wasn't used to her using, and she grabbed my shoulder, holding me back.

"What has gotten into you?" I said, looking at her in disgust.

_**Purrloin. The Devious Pokemon. This Pokemon puts on a cute act with its adorable looks to distract people and make off with their belongings. Even when it is caught doing so, it manages to get away with it by giving its cute stare.**_

_**Liepard. The Cruel Pokemon and Purrloin's evolved form. People are attracted to its beautiful fur and strong, alluring form. They are merciless on their enemies and prefer sneaky attacks.**_

"Turn that damn thing off!" I screamed at Trixa.

Trixa cried out in shock and put her Pokedex away, stumbling back away from me in fear.

"I don't need to know their damn data!" I shouted at her before turning to June. "These two Pokemon are in pain! That's all I know and all I care about."

"You can't trust these Pokemon! Gary, just listen to me!" June pleaded, gripping both of my shoulders now.

I shook my shoulders hard, freeing myself from her grasp. "Get off of me! I can't believe you would say such a thing like this! Are you reading these Pokemon? Is this what you're picking up from them?"

June shook her head. "I can't read past what a Pokemon is telling me. I told you exactly what they're telling me. I just don't believe him. These Pokemon are untrustworthy. Don't listen to them!"

I felt sick just looking at June now. "How can you say such a thing? These two are in obvious pain and even by reading them, you know they're in pain, but you're going to go listen to some stupid fears put into a Pokedex and judge the fate of this little Purrloin's life on that?"  
"Gary, we're gonna end up with all of our stuff missing and maybe seriously injured!" June argued. "I am not taking that thing anywhere! They're both fine! I'm sure of it!"

"There's no way you can misread that Purrloin! JUST LOOK AT THE POOR THING!"

"They put up a good act, I admit! But that is all it is! These things are notorious for this kind of stuff!"

"Raikou is notorious for not trusting humans, but you think it attacked Kiwi in self defense!"

"Don't you bring that up right now, Gary!"

"It's the same exact thing!"

"It is not!"

"You're right! At least the reason for your stupid trust in Raikou is based on what you claim you read from the thing! In this case, you can read the pain on these Pokemon, but you're _still _being an idiot!"

"I am _not_ traveling with that thing, Gary!"

"Then get away from us, because I'm taking Purrloin and Liepard to Striaton City for help!" I stormed past June and placed Pidove's Poke Ball on my belt as I got closer to Liepard.

Liepard looked into my eyes, his teeth bared, growling loudly at me as I neared him.

"Liepard, Striaton City is really close by," I explained. "Allow me to take Purrloin and yourself there. Is that okay?"

Liepard looked over to Purrloin.

The poor kitten's body twitched and she let out a weakened cry, her voice low, light, and causing my heart to beat even harder as I worried about the future of the Pokemon, knowing time was running out.

Liepard looked over at me and nodded, still warning me with his strong, deadly teeth showing.

I nodded back. "Trust me, Liepard. We'll get there safely." I moved closer to Purrloin and bent down. Carefully, I reached out and touched the injured Pokemon.

Purrloin screeched loudly in pain, her head turning sharply away from me.

Liepard hissed at me, arching his back, and then screamed out in pain as he collapsed to the ground on his left back leg.

"It's okay!" I cried out, turning to Liepard, pulling my hands back, my entire body shaking hard. "Just let me pick her up!" I reached down again and gently touched her, causing her to yell out sharply.

Liepard remained on the ground from his hurt leg, but he hissed at me again.

I lifted Purrloin up and she struggled in my hands, crying out loudly. Quickly, I cradled her in my arms, adjusting her body as best as I could to make it as comfortable as possible for her.

Purrloin's mangled tail hung at a strange angle from my arm. She stopped struggling and laid still, her eyes closed, breathing heavily. The blood from her body started to smear on my skin.

This Pokemon is in critical condition, I thought to myself. This isn't an act.

"Gary," June said, shaking her head. "This is a setup. I will not be going along with you if you're going to take them, too. I refuse! I absolutely refuse!"

I stared at June, her words stunning me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing from her.

June stared back at me, her arms crossed in front of her chest, a serious look on her face.

I squinted at her in disbelief and shook my head. Without another word, I walked away from June, continuing down the path towards Striaton City.

Liepard growled at June before following after me.

"Oh, really?" June angrily shouted after me. "FINE! You've made your choice! I'm out of here, then!"

I ignored June, walking through Route 2, Purrloin in my arms, Liepard hobbling along beside me.

"Hmph!" I heard June storm away in the opposite direction.

"Wait! Please! Can't we just…" I heard Trixa start to beg, but then she stopped.

Purrloin moaned in my arms, twitching in pain, her eyes closed so tightly, shivering in my arms, curling and uncurling her body in pain.

"It's okay, Purrloin," I whispered. "You and your dad will be just fine, really soon. It's okay, now. It's going to be okay."  
Purrloin curled up against my shirt, getting blood all over it, and her front paws reached out and grabbed onto my shirt as she let out a painful screech.

I held Purrloin closer to me, my eyes overflowing in tears. "It must hurt so badly," I said gently to her. "Your dad is right here, though. You're in safe care. You're going to come out of this just fine, Purrloin. You're so strong. Hang in there, please. We're so close."

Hurried footsteps from behind me caused me and Liepard to stop and turn around.

"Gary!" Trixa called, a concerned look on her face. She ran up to us. "I hate fighting. I really do. But I don't know why June would say such horrible things about Purrloin. I mean, they're both obviously hurt!"

I shrugged and turned around, continuing my walk, Liepard following me. "Screw her. She never was the brightest one, and her ability to read Pokemon has been questionable at times. I don't know how she can claim to read Pokemon but think that these two are lying. Forget about her. We're on our own, now. And even after we get these two to Striaton City and they're healed, she isn't welcome back anymore. She turned her back on us. It was her decision."

Trixa lowered her head as she followed us. "I really hate confrontation," she said in a low, sad voice. "I wish she didn't leave us."

"Whatever," I said shortly.

The four of us walked in silence other than Purrloin's pleading cries and moans in my arms as she turned around, flinched, winced, and stretched, every movement bringing out a desperate call for help from her throat.

Liepard kept his eyes on Purrloin, looking away every so often to check the path we were on, but for most of the walk, his eyes remained on his baby.

My arm was throbbing in pain, but I didn't pay any attention to it. After a little while, I could see that the trees and grass surrounding our walk were ending, and something was up ahead. "Hey! I think Striaton must be right up ahead!" I exclaimed eagerly, and started to run past Liepard and Trixa to get a better view from the top of a nearby hill.

I had only gotten a few feet before the grass began to rustle.

Trixa gasped.

I froze and turned to the sound.

Liepard let out a loud cry in the direction of the noise.

The grass nearby shook harder as something made its way from the trees, closer to us.

Purrloin started to squirm and cry out in pain in my arms.

I held her closer to me, a bad feeling arising in my chest. What is that? I wondered, thoughts flying through my mind rapidly as fear filled my body. Who is that? Could it be the trainers who attacked Purrloin and Liepard? Could it be the setup June warned me about?

Liepard let out another cry, louder this time.

I turned to him as he continued to stare in the direction of the rustling grass, unsure of what the noise he was making meant. Maybe June was right, I began to fear.

Purrloin's left eye suddenly opened, the swollen right eye remaining closed, and she looked right into my eyes, making me gasp in shock.

Oh, no, I realized.


	8. More Than Meets The Liepard Part 2 Of 2

My arm throbbed in pain as I held the beaten, bruised, bloody Purrloin in my arms.

She looked up at me with her green eye, wide with concern, her other eye closed, swollen shut.

I looked down at her in shock. This was the first time I had seen her with her eye open.

Liepard let out a cry towards the trees.

"What's going on?" Trixa cried.

The grass rustled as the being maneuvered itself closer to us.

"Who's there?" I called determinedly as I felt Purrloin whine and kick in my arms, my heart beating with fear at what might show itself.

The being stepped out from between two trees and stared at us before quickly looking away.

"June!" I gasped.

"Hey, look! It's June again!" Trixa clapped happily.

Liepard frowned and stared at her, but didn't make any noise.

"June! We don't have time for your stupidity!" I snapped. "Just get away from us! We're trying to get to Striaton City!"

"Well, I still have to get my credit card from there, too!" she shot back.

"Whatever," I said moodily, and turned away from her.

"Besides, I-" June started.

"_Puuuuurrrrr…_" Purrloin cried out in a weak voice. Her eyes were closed in pain, and when her good eye opened again, it were layered with a film of water as it glimmered painfully up at me. Her eye began to close again, just barely open, and she appeared to be losing consciousness.

"We have to go!" I urged, and ran past June, away from Trixa, Liepard hobbling quickly after me. At the top of the hill, I stopped to see a large city beneath me. "It's here!" I shouted, and immediately ran towards the city.

Striaton City was stunningly beautiful. It was filled with tall buildings, short buildings, skinny buildings, wide buildings, short little apartment buildings reaching only three stories high, and fancier buildings, some with flags on the front of them. The streets were littered with light amounts of trash. The air changed noticeably from the freshness of trees to the aroma of a bustling city, busy people, and light pollution. A few cars occupied the streets, while the sidewalk was occupied by the youth as kids and young teenagers ran by us, laughing, pushing each other, and standing around casually.

As I ran by with a bleeding Pokemon in my arms and a hobbling Pokemon running behind me, trying to locate the Pokemon Center, several people in the streets stopped to stare at me, gasping and crying out, pointing at me. A couple of cars screeched to a halt and honked at me, but I ignored everything and everyone, running hard, pounding the pavement, trying to find help.

"Hey!" a voice yelled out, but I didn't turn to it and continued running.

A hand grabbed my shoulder suddenly.

"Get off of me!" I screamed angrily, turning to see a short man who was just about my height, with a beefy stature, wearing blue jeans and a black jacket, zipped up.

The man gave me a serious look, the black iris in his eyes like ink as he nodded with his head across the street.

I turned around and noticed the huge building immediately. "Thank you!" I said to the man, and looked both ways before running across the street, dashing towards the building of the Pokemon Center.

Several people sat in the lobby, talking in separate groups with each other, while one girl sat alone.

Nurse Joy sat behind a large counter.

Everyone's attention turned to me as I ran up to Nurse Joy. I could hear the mutters and cries of shock.

Nurse Joy stood up immediately and stepped from around her counter. "Oh, my goodness!" she cried. "What happened to this poor Purrloin?"

"It was beaten by some trainers trying to capture it, Nurse Joy," I explained as Purrloin squirmed in my arms, whining loudly. "Her and her parent, Liepard."

"Audino, this is an emergency!" Nurse Joy said, looking down at Liepard.

Liepard cried out and collapsed to the ground, breathing hard.

I turned as the front door opened, and June and Trixa came running in.

Trixa ran up to me, but June stayed behind, watching the scene with disapproval.

The electronic doors in the back opened, and a pair of Audino wheeled out a stretcher, walking on either side of it.

Nurse Joy carefully took the Purrloin from me.

Purrloin cried out loudly, but Nurse Joy placed her down carefully on the stretcher and the pair of Audino wheeled Purrloin through the back doors.

Another Audino came out with a stretcher and stopped near Liepard.

Nurse Joy and Audino carefully lifted Liepard up and placed him carefully on the stretcher.

Liepard lifted his head and let out a purr before lowering his head back down and closing his eyes.

"It's okay, now," I told Liepard as Audino wheeled him to the back.

"And now, may you please follow me?" Nurse Joy asked me firmly.

"Me?"

She nodded. "You're in need of some help as well." She pointed at the floor.

I looked down and saw the blood dripping from my arm. "Oh!" I exclaimed. "My cut!"

Nurse Joy nodded. "We have to treat this as well." She smiled and led the way towards the back.

"This isn't the time nor the place," I said to June irritably. "I'm not going to leave those two until I know they're both okay. You, on the other hand, can get away from me."

"I know you're upset, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong," June said with attitude.

"I said get away from me. I don't know why you came back in the first place."

"I told you I need my card."

"Fine. Then get it and then get away from me." I stood up to walk away from her.

"Gary, ask anyone in Unova and they'll tell you the same thing about them!" June got to her feet and followed me.

I turned around quickly and took a threatening step towards June, making her gasp and back up a couple of feet. "Can you read Pokemon?" I demanded.

"Y-yes," she stammered.

"Did you see any reason not to trust them?"

"It doesn't work like that, Gary! A Pokemon can lie, you know! I'm not psychic! I only know what I'm told!"

"You can't go around judging Pokemon like that, June!" I screamed at her.

"Gary, I know this. I just…"

I felt the eyes on us, and I realized I needed to either keep my tone down, or just leave the Pokemon Center. There was no way I was leaving, so I took a deep breath and sat down in one of the chairs against the wall in a corner in front of a table.

June followed me, Trixa staying where the three of us had been sitting just a moment ago, remaining in her seat by the window, staring sadly outside.

I had taken a shower and changed my clothes in the back after Nurse Joy had looked me over. She wrapped my arm up in gauze, and I returned to the lobby while she and the Audino cared for Purrloin and Liepard.

"Pokedex data is just an assumption," I said calmly to June as she took a seat opposite me. "Or better yet, a generalization. It doesn't define all Pokemon, June. It just tells the natural traits of them. You act as if it's impossible that a Purrloin and Liepard could have gotten beaten up and needed help."

"It's not impossible, I know. This just isn't sitting right with me. I read their honesty. I read their need for help. But-"

"Then the discussion is closed!" I said a little too loudly. I took a couple of deep breaths before speaking more gently. "Once you get your stupid card from Nurse Joy, I'd like to ask you to go away."

"What?" June whispered loudly, looking at me like I were crazy.

"You actually wanted to abandon a pair of Pokemon," I told her. "Badly injured Pokemon. I can't be friends with someone like you. You have to go."

"Gary, I would have told Nurse Joy about those two Pokemon when we got here," June insisted. "She could have sent the police or something to get them. I wouldn't have just abandoned them like that! I just didn't want them with us."

I shook my head. "I can't stand to look at you any longer. Don't follow me anymore. Just get away from me before I lose my cool with you. I'm not moving this time. Get your disgusting face away from me before I throw up."

June's face scrunched up in emotional pain at my words and her eyes filled with tears. She quickly covered her face and ran from the Pokemon Center.

I had no regrets. That's what I wanted to believe, but a painful feeling in my chest was telling me otherwise. I was furious with June, and to make my point clear that I didn't want her traveling with me anymore, I had said something unnecessarily mean, and I knew it. But at least she left. Knowing she was the kind of person who could leave a clearly injured, dying Pokemon like that did make me feel nauseous being around her. I placed my arms on the table and gently rested my head on them, closing my eyes. My last vision before I fell asleep was Trixa, who was staring at the floor, looking sadder than ever.

"I'll never get used to this kind of food," Trixa complained. "My mom's food is so much better. Even takeout is better than this."

I mumbled something and nodded, not really paying attention.

"Is the Pokemon Center food in Kanto this bad, too?" she asked me.

"It's alright," I muttered.

"So, it's better?"

"Yeah, sure," I said quickly.

"I should maybe ask my parents if I can visit Kanto one day. Is it like Unova?"

"Sort of."

"Have you been to any other regions?"

"Not really."

Trixa and I were in the cafeteria of the Pokemon Center, Trixa eating dinner.

Nurse Joy had informed me that Purrloin and Liepard would be fine, but it could take weeks before they fully recovered and were ready to be released back into the wild.

I didn't care if it took months. I'd wait for them to be let out. I may even wait years if I had too. Those Pokemon suffered at the hands of humans. Their trust in humans might be diminished. I'd show them that all humans can't be defined by the actions of a small group. Just like I wouldn't judge all Purrloin or Liepard by the actions of some of them, like June had done.

I hadn't seen June in the several hours since she had run out of the Pokemon Center, crying.

I skipped lunch since I had no appetite, Trixa leaving me in the lobby to go downstairs and eat before returning and taking a seat next to me. She had immediately begun talking about how terrible the lunch was, and then inquired about going to the Striaton Gym.

I told her she could go if she wanted, but I was going to stay around to hear the news about Liepard and Purrloin, so she chose to stay for a while, too.

This resulted in her talking about a slew of random things from movies she wanted to see, to how different her life was now, to her days in school, to the games her parents would play with her, to her favorite cereals, to the kinds of leaves she used to love eating until she accidentally ate a poisonous leaf and got really sick, influencing her to not eat leaves anymore…

I only went downstairs for dinner with Trixa because Nurse Joy had told me that the two Pokemon were going to be okay, but I still had no appetite. My main concern was Purrloin and Liepard and making sure I was around for them both, available for anything Nurse Joy had to tell me about them. I didn't eat. I just sat with Trixa while she ate and talked.

We had gone back upstairs and were sitting together on a long bench against the wall, the lobby occupying only two other people who were sitting apart from each other, seeming to be waiting for something as they looked around, bored.

Nurse Joy and her Audino were in the back, still taking care of the Pokemon, including Trixa and my Pokemon, which we gave to Nurse Joy when she came out the earlier to tell me that Purrloin and Liepard would be okay in a few weeks.

Hours passed by as I began to dwell on what I had been through so far. My escape from Pallet. Leaving Charizard behind. My Porygon-Z going missing. Meeting Ella and Trixa.

Ella… Beautiful, gorgeous, perfect… I ran out of words as I thought about her, remembering her smile, her outfit, her shape, her eyes. There were only but so many words that I knew to describe her, but whatever other words there were out there that fit her, I longed to know them just because they defined her. My eyes began to close as my thoughts focused on Ella. Where is she right now? Is she thinking about me at all? Has she thought of me even once? Would she even remember my name if we meet again? Would she even recognize me?

"_I wish me and my boyfriend could travel around the world like you two do."_ Ella's words repeated in my mind, and I sighed, reflecting on them.

Suddenly, Trixa popped into my head wearing a blue jeans skirt and matching button up jacket, standing next to Ella, smiling her friendly smile, her eyes twinkling, brushing back her long, dark hair as she fluttered her eyes at me.

The three of us stood in a strange area of complete blackness all around us.

Trixa stepped up to me and handed me a Poke Ball. "Here you go, Gary. This is your Pokemon! Think nothing of it. Just take it!" She pulled me into a hug, and I gratefully hugged her as well, the sweet, sugary, fruit filled aroma of her hair surrounding me. After a long while, Trixa released me and took a step back, still smiling. "Go ahead! Send her out!"

"Huh?" I held out the Poke Ball and a white beam sent out the Pokemon inside.

"Puuuuurrrrrloin!" the Pokemon cried out, happily wagging her tail.

"Purrloin! You're okay!" I ran up to her and picked her up.

All of her bruises and injuries were gone. There was no blood anywhere. She was in perfect health! Purrloin licked my face repeatedly.

I looked over to Trixa. "This is… for me?"

Trixa nodded happily. "You deserve her. You stuck by her side and made sure she was alright and got the help she needed. She's yours."

"Trixa, thank you so much for this! I don't know what to say!" My eyes teared up and I felt drops run down my cheeks.

"Just say that you'll travel with me and Ella together through Unova," Trixa said eagerly. "Travel with us, and let's be the best of friends! Forever!"

"Okay! I agree!" I said with excitement, turning to Ella.

Ella walked over to me, her black shorts above her knees, tight on her, a gray T-shirt reaching down to her hips. Her wrapped me in a hug and whispered in my ear, "I'm so glad to finally have a boyfriend who actually wants to travel with me."

I felt my legs getting weak to her words, her breath blowing against my ear, my entire body shaking badly, my heart feeling like it had just exploded in my chest.

Ella's lips got closer to my cheek as they puckered towards them.

Something grabbed my shoulder roughly and shook me hard. "Gary! Come on!"

"Huh?" I gasped, and turned to see June looking at me. "June!"

"Gary!" she said, shaking me roughly.

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

"WHOA!" I opened my eyes and looked up into the eyes of June. "What the…?" That's when I turned and noticed that I was laying down on the bench in the Pokemon Center, my head in the lap of Trixa! "AAAHHHH!" I sat up and moved away from her.

"Good morning, Gary," Trixa smiled. "Sleep well?"

"What the hell was I doing in your lap?" I screamed, moving away from her even further.

Trixa smiled at me, but she didn't seem to be aware of what was going on, a creepy, lost gaze in her twinkling eyes. "I don't know. I just woke up and you were there! So I pet your hair like a little puppy and watched you sleep so peacefully. I told June and Nurse Joy not to wake you up, but June insisted that you had to find out what happened to your Town Map, and she woke you up rather rudely. Naughty, naughty, Juni." Trixa scowled and waved her pointer finger at June as if she were scolding a child.

"Wait, my Town Map?" I asked, patting my pockets. "Hey!" I stood up and pulled my pockets inside out, but it wasn't there. I grabbed my backpack and emptied it on the floor, pushing the contents around, flipping around my clothes, unfolding them and shaking them, but the Town Map wasn't in my bag, either.

"Gary, it's not there," June said, her voice shaking.

I turned to her. "What are you talking about?" I yelled at her, standing up and taking a step towards her.

June stepped back, staring at me with fear. "Th-th-they took it."

"Speak so I know what you're talking about, June! What's going on here?"

"Purrloin. Liepard," June swallowed. "They're gone. They took your Town Map with them."

I stared at June with a mix of anger and confusion. "What do you mean they took my Town Map…?" I asked slowly.

"Liepard and Purrloin ran off early this morning at around four," Nurse Joy said from behind me.

I turned around to face her. "What? I don't understand."

"They took both of our Town Maps, although the video only shows them taking yours," Trixa said, running her hand through her hair.

"I can show you the video," Nurse Joy offered, two of her Audino by her side with worried looks on their faces. "Although, to be honest, it doesn't show very much at all other than them breaking out and running off with your Town Map."

I shook my head in disbelief. "That doesn't make any sense! Purrloin was hurt badly! Liepard was hurt, too! There's no way they could just run off like that!"

"I told you, Gary!" June cried out angrily. "I told you they weren't to be trusted! They were obviously faking! Total liars! They fooled you and ended up robbing you, just like I said!"

I stared at June in shock, unable to reply.

"No," Nurse Joy spoke up. She shook her head. "Purrloin was very badly injured and could have died. Her skull was fractured, tail trampled on and mangled, her fur ripped out. There was no faking those injuries. Liepard's back paw was also broken. How they got out, and more importantly, why, is unknown. They were in too much pain. I don't understand what happened at all."

"Show me the video, please!" I demanded.

Nurse Joy nodded. "This way."

I scooped all of my stuff back into my backpack quickly, and then June, Trixa, and I followed Nurse Joy through the doors in the back.

Liepard stood up from the stretcher he was on, a large white blanket underneath him, his right back leg wrapped up in white gauze. He stretched for a couple of seconds, arching his back, and then looked over at Purrloin, who was in a large capsule that looked identical to several others in the room they were in.

An individual Pokemon laid in each one of these capsules, basically made of a metal stand which held a white blanket in it where the Pokemon rested comfortably, a clear, curved top covering them, keeping them inside. All of the Pokemon were asleep.

Purrloin's capsule top was open. Purrloin's head was wrapped in several rounds of gauze, her tail wrapped up completely, bandages across her body, making 'X' signs all over her.

Liepard leaped to the ground, landing near Purrloin's capsule. He flinched in pain, baring his teeth as he stood up on his hind legs, his front paws on the blanket Purrloin was sleeping on, and he nuzzled Purrloin with his nose, immediately waking her up.

Purrloin stood up and stretched, seeming to cry out in pain, though it couldn't be heard since there was no sound on the video, and then she leaped quickly to the floor to join her dad. They both quickly ran from the room.

Nurse Joy typed on the keyboard, and the video shrunk, revealing several small screens, each one containing a video from one of several of the cameras throughout the Pokemon Center that was recording at that time. One of the screens increased and took over the screen as Nurse Joy typed feverishly.

Liepard and Purrloin were now in the lobby.

It was just me and Trixa there, my head in her lap for some reason, while she had her head tilted back against the wall, her mouth wide open, sleeping.

Purrloin watched as Liepard leaped onto the bench Trixa and I were sleeping on and dug through my jeans with her head, finally pulling something out with his teeth.

My Town Map!

Liepard leaped from the bench and ran swiftly for the door. The door opened, and Liepard looked back at Purrloin, nudging his head, urging her to follow him.

Purrloin looked over to me and slowly crept over to the bench. She leaped on top of it and gently, carefully, crawled over to my sleeping face. Her paw gently touched my cheek, and she gave it a small lick before turning to Liepard and leaped from the bench.

The front door opened automatically and Purrloin ran outside.

Liepard took a look around the Pokemon Center, my Town Map still in his mouth, his eyes landing on the bench where Trixa and I were sleeping, and he froze for a moment. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

The front door closed shortly after.

Nurse Joy pressed a button on the keyboard, pausing the video.

Silence filled the room for the longest time. No one seemed to know what to say, or didn't want to say what was on their mind.

I had no idea how to interpret this video.

"I wish there was more to it, but we have no idea where they went or why," Nurse Joy finally spoke up. "The surveillance cameras in the city don't cover the entire city. The ones that show any signs of Purrloin and Liepard aren't very helpful. They just move too quickly. They are known for their speed. Trixa's Town Map is also missing, so I think either Liepard or Purrloin may have snatched Trixa's Town Map at a speed the camera couldn't catch. You saw how quickly it vanished from the front door."

"They stole your valuable items, like I said," June said quietly. "That's what this was all about all along."

I turned to June angrily. "Oh, just shut it, will you?" I shouted. "They took a couple of Town Maps! They didn't take my bag, or any of Trixa's food! They only took our Town Maps! What the hell are they gonna do with Town Maps? They can't _read!_"

"They're valuable items, Gary!" June cried. "They could sell them to someone!"

"And then what?! Go to Vegas?! Buy freaking catnip?! What the hell are a couple of animals gonna do with money, June?!"

"Come on, you guys, please!" Trixa pleaded. "Don't fight again." Trixa turned to me and grabbed my arm. "June came back. Please, I don't want her to leave again. Let's all just be friends, alright? Please? You can even lay in my lap again!" She smiled brightly.

I yanked my arm away from her grip and shot her a dirty look. "No, thanks. I'll pass," I said grudgingly.

Trixa looked down sadly.

I turned back to June. "She licked me. Even Liepard seemed to be troubled by what he was doing. I can't read Pokemon or anything, but it sure looked like they were showing some signs of remorse for what they were doing."

"But _why_ were they doing it?" was the question June brought up.

_Why?_

That was the question we all wondered as the four of us looked at each other with not one idea as to the answer between us.


	9. A Recilant Cresst To Vicchili

I sighed, staring down in disappointment at my Town Map.

Trixa, June, me, and Pidove, who sitting on my left shoulder, walked under the sun. It wasn't hot today, just sunny and windless.

It was very calm in Striaton City. People walked by us, smiling and chatting with each other, enjoying the peaceful afternoon.

Pidove cooed and turned his head around, looking at his surroundings.

"I think that must be the Striaton Gym right there!" June said suddenly, pointing to the left of us.

We all turned and saw the very wide, very tall, brown building with the curved roof across the street. Several arches were lined up in front of the building, made of gray concrete.

I looked down at the Town Map and then squinted back up to the building. "Weren't we just here the other day?" I asked.

After what had occurred with Purrloin and Liepard the other day, June and I had managed to reconcile our problem with each other and she was once again traveling with us.

Trixa was delighted by this and suggested we spend the day together and explore Striaton City.

I tried to suggest we just continue going for our badges, but Trixa vehemently disagreed, practically demanding we have a nice day out instead.

June had gotten her credit card at the Pokemon Center and offered to take us all out to eat lunch and then later, dinner, all at her expense.

I agreed to go, but I absolutely refused to eat on her dollar.

Trixa surprised me by getting extremely angry and screaming that I was ruining the day by acting like that, so I agreed in order to calm her down, and we all had an awkward, though nice, lunch at an amazing restaurant, explored the city, had a friendly introduction of June's, Trixa's, and my Pokemon, where June revealed that both Pidove and Pansear were both male, and we ended the day with a really delicious dinner at the same restaurant.

When we finally went back to the Pokemon Center that night, Nurse Joy had been kind enough to give me a paper Town Map she had lying around.

I took it in dismay, but showed an appreciative face, though I couldn't hold back the sigh that escaped my throat.

A paper Town Map was better than no Town Map, but that electronic one was incredible! I wasn't going to get the weather, time, and every last detail about every place in Unova from a piece of paper. The electronic one did things I hadn't even figured out yet!

The restaurant we ate at was definitely the building the four of us were staring at right now.

"Yeah, we were," June responded to my question. "But this is where it says it is." She pointed at the Town Map.

"Yeah, yeah, I see it," I grumbled. "But it can't be there."

"Well, where else could it be?" she asked.

"Maybe the people in the restaurant know!" Trixa said. "Those three guys with the funny hair seemed pretty informative! And they had goofy names, too!" She laughed.

"Oh, yeah," I remembered. "What were their names again?" For some reason, their names seemed awfully familiar to me when they had introduced themselves to us, but at the time, I couldn't figure out why.

"I only remember Chili," Trixa giggled. "He had the red hair. He was my favorite. I forgot the other two."

"One had blue hair, and the other one had green!" June said, smiling. "But, yeah, I forgot their names, too."

"Well, I'm not wasting their time with stupid questions," I said. "Those three work really hard. They don't have time for stupid inquires about gyms."

"I'll bet they'll enjoy seeing us a third time, though," Trixa said. "They were so friendly to us!"

"Let's just keep looking," I said, getting irritated. I looked at the Town Map and then scanned the area, looking at the buildings closest to us.

None of them looked like gyms. There were food stores, clothing stores, furniture stores, a bar, and a corner deli store, but nothing resembled a gym.

"Maybe this map is old or something," I said in a low voice. "We should maybe walk around a bit. Do either of you remember seeing a gym when we were exploring the-" I stopped talking as I realized Trixa and June were nowhere in sight. "Hey!" I called out as I saw they were both across the street, heading towards the restaurant. "Oh, come on!" I ran after them, scowling.

Trixa and June were up to the doors by the time I had caught up with them, and they both pushed them open, stepping inside of the golden carpeted floor.

I stepped in behind them and gazed around the room.

The walls were also gold, though a lighter shade, and had red lines near the top. A fireplace sat against the wall. Several tables occupied by a few people were covered in a large, white cloth, plates of food and cups of drinks on them, the people speaking in quiet tones amongst each other as they enjoyed their meals.

I spotted the blue haired waiter first, across the room, a white cloth on his left arm. He looked up at us and smiled.

"Welcome once again!" a voice came from the left of us, making us all gasp in surprise.

"Chili!" Trixa squealed.

"It seems you just cannot stay away from the delectable pallet of food we have to offer here," the green haired man said, appearing to our right, a white cloth on his right arm, taking us by surprise. "I insist that you all have a seat and make yourselves comfortable. We have quite the special on the menu today which we promise will leave you refreshed without the bloated feeling of a meal with too much to offer, and at a price that will leave you without fear of taking a second glance at the menu for seconds."

The three of us were ushered over to a table, and it seemed that we were practically forced to sit down.

"Welcome back, friends," the blue haired water suddenly appeared, placing a menu before each of us. "What a delight to see you all here. I'm glad our food is satisfactory for your tastes. Might I start things off with a bottle of fresh water and a plate of soft biscuits, fresh from the oven? Or are you ready to order already? We have a special today in our lunch menu. We have a vegan based special, a southern based special, and a uniquely flavored seafood dish, specifically seasoned, that tends to appease to the ladies." The man winked at Trixa and June.

June giggled, lowering her eyes.

Trixa smiled brightly, her eyes glued to Chili.

I noticed the blue haired man staring at me, his hair covering one of his sea-blue eyes as he stared back at me.

"Huh?" I said, looking back at him.

The man smiled and looked away.

"If spice is geared more towards your desire, we also have a dish I'll be making myself that is as flamboyant as it is filling," Chili said to us, his red hair evidently not brushed and pointing up in the air. "It is a bit pricier, but once you try it, you're challenged to say that the price and taste are not equal."

"I want that!" Trixa cried out loudly.

"Wait!" I shouted.

Everyone in the restaurant turned around to stare at us as complete silence filled the building.

"If it sounds too pricey, we have plenty of other dishes to suggest," Chili laughed lightly.

I shook my head. "No, no, it's not that!" I explained. "It's just that, we didn't come here to eat."

"Really?" Chili asked, his red eyes matching the other waiters as their eyes widened in shock.

"I'm sorry," I said. "We loved your food, but today, we were trying to locate the Striaton Gym. The Town Map said it was in this area, but we couldn't locate it. We were hoping that maybe you guys knew where it was. Well, actually…" I shot June and Trixa a dirty look. "These two were wondering if you guys knew."

June looked away from me, a slightly angry look on her face.

Trixa looked up at Chili, nodding her head quickly, smiling eagerly.

"Striaton Gym?" the blue haired man asked, staring at me.

"Yeah. Me and Trixa were looking to battle the Gym Leaders."

The guests in the restaurant gasped and turned around to stare at us with eager smiles.

My eyes widened in surprise. "What the…?"

Chili snickered.

The green haired man smiled, closing his green eyes. With a snap of his fingers, the lights dimmed drastically.

The three men walked with their hands on their hips towards a fireplace against the wall, walking very professionally, specifically, haughty.

"Well, then, my guests, I shall happily grant your very wish!" the green haired man said as a light shined down on him from above and he swiftly turned around to us, pointing, and gave a wink.

A few of the girls in the restaurant stood up and cried out as if their favorite celebrity had just walked in.

Chili turned around as a light shined down on him from out of nowhere, winking. "I'm sure you'll appreciate a battle as raw and intense, unforgiving and hot, as the sun in its afternoon peak."

A few more girls screamed out for Chili, a couple of guys in the back clapping and hooting eagerly.

A light shined on the blue haired gentleman as he turned around and shrugged causally, his hands up in the air. "Their taste seems more geared towards a much more relaxed battle. One with a gentler flow and a cool, crisp, refreshing linger, like that of fresh water over ice in the middle of a summer day."

"This is incredible! Today, we get to watch a gym battle!" a girl yelled over several cheers from a large group of girls. "I can't believe my luck!"

Suddenly, a light went off in my head! "HEEEEY! Chili! Your name was one of the names from the Town Map I had that told me about Striaton City's gym! You're a Gym Leader! And that must mean…"

"That's right! We three are _all_ the Gym Leaders of Striaton City! We are triplets, know as Cilan!" the green haired waiter introduced himself.

"Cress!" the blue haired waiter bowed.

"And of course, Chili!" Chili winked, raising a shaky fist.

The entire restaurant erupted in the shrill cries from the girls, the hooting of the few guys here, and the gleeful applause of Trixa and June.

"And now, it is show time!" the three brothers exclaimed, Cress opening his arms wide, Cilan with both hands in the air, and Chili down on one knee, his fists raised towards the fireplace as the light shining on them went away.

The walls behind them suddenly spread apart from behind the fireplace, and the fireplace began to sink into the ground, taking June, me, Trixa, and Pidove by surprise. A white light shined from the new opening until the walls were far apart, and I gasped at the sight before me.

"It's a battlefield! You three really _are_ the gym leaders for this gym!" I exclaimed.

"We tell no lies," Cilan laughed lightly. "This is indeed the Striaton Gym, and we welcome you!"

"Come on, let's go get changed!" one of the girls cried happily, and the entire crowd of diners ran down separate hallways in the back.

"So, which of you will be challenging us?" Cilan asked with a gentle smile.

I noticed Cress was staring at me again, his smile gone, his eye staring intently at me. His eye widened as he caught my stare and his smile returned.

I kept my eyes on him, squinting at him in confusion.

"Well, I won't be battling," June smiled, blushing.

"Uh, yeah," I said, looking away from Cress, facing Cilan. "It will just be me and Trixa. I guess if Trixa wants to goes first, she can."

"Yeah! I wanna battle Chili!" Trixa said, bumping me aside and jumping eagerly in front of him.

Chili laughed happily. "Well, that will depend on who your Starter Pokemon was from the Unova Region."

"Huh?" Trixa asked. "Oh, yeah. I remember now. You guys cheat and use the Pokemon type that has the advantage! Why is that?"

The three brothers laughed.

"It's not that we are cheating," Cress explained. "You see, we seek to teach, as is the duty of a Gym Leader. Our approach is perhaps just slightly different than some Gym Leaders, though. Usually, a Gym Leader is expected to be able to overcome their weakness in battle, so if a challenger brings Pokemon with a type advantage, the Gym Leader should still be able to combat that and give the opponent a good challenge. Our approach switches that role, so that the challenger must work his or her way around a disadvantage in type. We use the advantage in type to show that type is not a deciding factor in a battle. What's more, we try to connect the bonds between Pokemon and trainer by allowing them the chance to face a situation that can only be overcome by a close relationship and teamwork."

"Hmmm," Trixa crossed her arms. "Sounds like an excuse to cheat, but I don't mind. I'm here to win my second badge with my Tepig! So does that mean I have to battle the blue haired guy?" A sad look came over her face.

Cress nodded with a smile. "Yes, young lady. You'll have to battle against me."

"Fine," Trixa said with disappointment. "I'm sorry, Chili! I wanted to battle you!"

Chili laughed heartily. "I'm sorry, too."

Hmm, I thought. How will I challenge these guys? I didn't choose a Starter from Unova. I don't even have my Kanto Starter! All I have is this little Pidove. I turned to Pidove, who looked back at me.

Cilan turned to me. "If you'd like, you and June can watch from above with the others through the hallway! Perhaps June should take the hallway path to the left, where the girls are changing in the locker room, and Gary can take the one on the right, where the boys change. A set of stairs will lead you both upstairs and you can watch safely from there. Or, you're welcome to a massage in the back, courtesy of myself and Chili, while Trixa has her match."

"I'll pass," I waved at them.

"Oooooh, well…" June gushed, her hands clasped together down by her legs as she slowly walked over to Cilan, her face as red as Chili's hair. "Will it be you who's administering that massage?"  
I raised an eyebrow in surprise at June.

Cilan chuckled lightly. "Well, sure. I suppose so."

"In that case, just tell me where to go, and I'll gladly do as you say," June said in what I clearly must have mistaken for a seductive tone of voice.

Cilan's face showed he was extremely flustered by June's words and actions as he managed a smile on his now red, sweaty face and led the way to a door in the back and disappeared behind it with June.

"Hm," I muttered, staring at the door they disappeared through.

"A glass of wine, perhaps?"

A small wine glass with a little bit of red wine in it appeared in front of me as Chili held it up to me.

Cress also had a small glass of white wine in front of Trixa's face. "Perhaps a light drink to loosen up before the battle?" Cress offered.

"No, thank you," Trixa shook her head, a disgusted look on her face. "Let's battle!"

"Um," I looked over at Trixa.

Trixa turned back to me, tilting her head to the side.

"I guess not," I mumbled, though I was curious to have a sip.

Chili and Cress bowed and stuck out their pinky fingers as they drank down the wine before sitting their glasses on a table.

"Perhaps a treat for your lovely Pidove, then," Cress offered, and opened his palm, a small, red nugget in it, and raised it to Pidove.

Pidove pecked at it for a second, and then eagerly devoured the entire treat happily.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Cress bowed. "Well then, please, Trixa. I insist that you join me on the battlefield."

"Gary, you're encouraged to watch from upstairs," Chili reminded me.

"Oh, yeah," I nodded. "Good luck, Trixa." I turned and ran to the hallway, taking the path to the right. Almost immediately, I spotted the stairs, leading away from a path leading further into the hallway. I ran up one long flight of stairs, hearing cheers and cries ahead, and saw an opening at the top. I reached it and turned to see cheerleaders!

Male cheerleaders in blue shirts with a couple of black stripes across them with matching sweatpants. Female cheerleaders in the same colored outfit, but with shorter shirts and skirts and red pom-poms in their hands. They were all cheering and clapping and making a huge racket.

I walked over to the metal barricade and stared down at the rocky battlefield where Trixa and Cress were entering, taking their positions.

"This is a gym battle, Pidove," I explained to him.

Pidove cooed on my shoulder, keeping his eyes on the field below.

"This is the first battle today at the Striaton City gym! This will be a one-on-one match between Striaton City Gym Leader, Cress, and Trixa!" Chili said, taking his role as referee, standing just outside of the battlefield, an eager smile on his face, his fists balled up near his chest. "This match will officially end when one side is unable to fight! There is no time limit!"

"Let's go Cress! Let's go Cress! Prove to us that you're the best! YAAAAAY!" the cheerleaders next to me cheered.

Weren't these people just eating in the restaurant? I wondered suspiciously.

"Now, let's begin the match!" Chili swung a fist high into the air.

"With a wave of power, let's win this one, Ducklett!" Cress said, throwing his Poke Ball.

"Duck Duck Ducklett!" a light blue duck cried out.

I pulled out my Pokedex and listened to it as I watched Trixa do the same.

_**Ducklett. The Water Bird Pokemon. This Pokemon lives around ponds or rivers. Its favorite food is peat moss.**_

"Tepig, I believe in you! Let's win this!" Trixa threw her Poke Ball.

"Tepig!" Tepig cried out eagerly.

"Tepig, use Tail Whip, now!" Trixa ordered.

Tepig ran towards Ducklett.

"Such a daring rush of a move shall be responded to justly," Cress said snottily. "Water Gun, now!"

"Duck Duck!" Ducklett opened its beak and sprayed a stream of water at Tepig, forcing it back, slamming it into a rock.

"She's at a type disadvantage," I muttered angrily. "She can't be so reckless."

Tepig shook off the hit and got back to his feet with a grunt.

"Then let's just go straight for a Tackle!" Trixa ordered.

"Tepig! Tepig! Tepig!" Tepig charged at Ducklett.

"Déjà vu, if I do say so myself!" Cress said calmly, waving an open palm in front of his face. "Another Water Gun!"

Tepig was hit with a second Water Gun and thrown back, rolling along the ground before coming to a stop, groaning in pain.

"This looks to be over by now," Cress said, his eye closed, shrugging his shoulders, his open palms up in the air.

"This isn't over!" Trixa yelled. "Tepig, let's show these cheaters that we can win this battle! We can't just lose that easily!"

"Tepig…" Tepig groaned, opening his eyes. He glared at Ducklett.

"Ducklett!" Ducklett cried out, pointing at Tepig with one of its wings.

"Do it, Ducklett," Cress said, lowering his hands to his sides.

A spray of water blasted from Ducklett's wing towards Tepig.

"Get away, Tepig!" Trixa screamed.

"Tepiiiiiig!" Tepig screamed out as he stumbled onto his feet and took a strong leap into the air, over the Water Gun attack.

I gasped. "Whoa! Look at Tepig!"

Tepig's eyes were completely red, and his body was giving a red glow.

"Could that possibly be…?" I wondered out loud.

The cheerleaders near me stared at Tepig, stunned by what was happening.

Chili looked up in awe at Tepig.

"Tepig!" Trixa looked up at her Pokemon, her mouth wide open, eyes wide in disbelief at the site of Tepig.

"Tepiiiig!" Tepig yelled.

Cress's only eye that wasn't blocked by his hair was wide open now, looking up at Tepig.

"Tepig, let's use Ember attack!" Trixa demanded.

"Teeeeep! TEPIG!" With a loud grunt, while still in the air, Tepig sent out a spiral of flames at Ducklett.

"It is!" I pointed as I saw the noticeably stronger, brighter flames than Tepig would normally sent out, surround Ducklett.

Ducklett screamed out and backed up in pain from the attack.

"Now, slam right into it! Tackle attack, Tepig!"

Tepig came down to the ground and landed, running once he connected with the floor, and tackled Ducklett.

Ducklett stumbled back, its eyes closed in pain, but it shook its head and pointed at Tepig, screaming angrily at him.

"Another Water Gun will end this, Ducklett! Attack right away!" Cress said swiftly.

"Duck Duck!" Ducklett got ready to attack, but suddenly, its body erupted into flames. "DUUUUUUUCK!" Ducklett fell to the ground, flinching in pain.

"Hey, wait! I know that one! It's a Burn!" Trixa squealed excitedly.

"Ducklett!" Cress gasped. "The tables shall not be turned around so easily, young lady. Your Tepig has Blaze Ability activated, which may very well boost its Fire type attacks, but that also means your Tepig is low in health. We end this with Bubblebeam!"

"Do it, do it, Cress, Cress, Cress! Will he win it? Yes! Yes! Yes!" his squad of cheerleaders supported him, leaping around in excitement.

Who _are _these people? I wondered, staring at them before turning back to the match.

"Blaze?" Trixa said, pulling out her Pokedex.

Ducklett attacked with Bubblebeam, spraying a barrage of bubbles from its beak, while Trixa focused on her Pokedex, leaving Tepig to jump around the powerful attack that was threatening whether he'd be able to battle any longer in this match.

Trixa's eyes were glued to her Pokedex.

"Catch that Tepig!" Cress said strongly. "One hit and it's over, Ducklett!"

Tepig kept up the dodging, leaping around the attacks and just barely managing to stay on his feet.

Ducklett stopped attacking as it was covered in flames again from the Burn. Once it ended, Ducklett was still standing, glaring at Tepig, exhausted.

Tepig is good, I thought. He's really nimble. But he can't keep this up. What is Trixa doing?

"Again, Ducklett! Catch it this time!" Cress said, keeping a calm though determined demeanor on his face.

Trixa didn't look up from her Pokedex as Ducklett opened its beak to attack once more.

I grabbed the bars of the barricade in front of me, feeling the anger inside of me build. What is wrong with her?! I was losing it. "TRI-"

Before I could finish my yell, Trixa looked up and smiled. "In the air, Tepig! Jump!"

Tepig leaped over the stream of bubbles, high in the air.

"Now we've got it," Cress smiled. "Follow it! It has nowhere to run."

Ducklett used Bubblebeam in the air, aiming for Tepig.

"Rollout attack!" Trixa yelled.

"Rollout?" I gasped.

Tepig curled up into a ball and started spinning in midair. He zipped through the air, away from the bubbles, and landed on the ground, immediately flying at Ducklett, dirt kicking up behind him.

Cress gasped in shock, his hair in front of his eye leaping up to reveal his other eye briefly before covering it again.

Tepig rolled right into Ducklett with the Super Effective Rock type move, sending the duck Pokemon flying through the air and crashing into a rock.

Ducklett slid to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Ducklett! Watch out!" Cress called.

Ducklett opened its eyes and cried out in pain as fire surrounded its body. It cried out weakly as the flames died, and before it could move, Tepig slammed right into it again. Ducklett tumbled on the ground and laid out flat on its back.

"Ducklett has been defeated!" Chili declared. "Tepig is the winner of this match! This round goes to Trixa!"

Trixa let out a shrill shriek of joy and ran to her Tepig. "Tepig! You won! You won! I can't believe this! Wait! Yes, I can! I knew all along that you would win this! YAY! YAY! _YAAAAAY!_" She lifted up the joyful pig and spun around in happy circles.

The cheerleaders let out sad groans of disappointment.

"Ha! She won it, Pidove!" I exclaimed, and ran downstairs, through the restaurant, and onto the battlefield, stopping several feet away from Trixa. I was happy for her, and at the same time, eager to begin my battle. "Congratulations, Trixa!"

Trixa spun around in a happy daze around the battlefield before tripping over one of the large rocks and landing on her back.

"Oh, my," Cress said as he returned his Pokemon to its Poke Ball and took a step towards Trixa.

Trixa wrapped Tepig up in her arms and rolled around on the ground, dirtying her blue jean shorts and light blue jacket.

Everyone got quiet and stared at her in silence.

I sighed and shook my head. "Anyway, I think I'm up next!" I called, ignoring Trixa.

Cress looked up at me, and then back to Trixa. "Uh…"

I growled and walked over to Trixa. "Trixa!" I said loudly.

Trixa stopped rolling around and looked up at me from the ground. "Oh! Heya, Gary! Guess what? I won!"

"That's great!" I said with feigned surprise. "Now, it's my turn!"

"Awesome!" Trixa got to her feet.

"You can wait upstairs if you'd like and watch from above!" I offered with a forced smile.

"Or, you're welcome to receive a massage from one of us who Gary will not be battling, which includes a foot rub, as well as a luxurious hair wash with the finest, most gentlest, alluringly scented shampoo," Cress suggested.

"Is Chili going to be doing that?" Trixa cried excitedly.

Chili laughed nervously.

"Well, let's find out," Cress said, turning to me with a smile. "What Pokemon did you choose in the Unova Region as your Starter?"

"Unova Region Starter?" I asked.

"Yes. Tepig, Snivy, or Oshawott. You chose one of these, yes?"

"Gary's from Kanto," Trixa said before I could speak. "He only has a Pidove. Does that mean he can't battle you guys?"

A gasp came from Cress's throat as Chili's eyes widened in surprise.

I sighed and looked at the ground. "She's right. I'm from Kanto," I said sadly. "My Starter was a Charmander, who's now a Charizard. I'm no beginner. I competed in the Pokemon League a couple of years ago. But now, I'm in Unova, and I don't have any of my Pokemon with me. All I have is a Pidove right now."

Cress was joined by his brother as they both stared at me.

Chili smiled at me, but Cress didn't.

Cress bent down close to me and stared at me in shock. "I knew it!"

"Huh?" I said, staring back at him.

"Gary! I knew when you came into my restaurant the first time that I recognized you! You're the boy who survived the attack two years ago at the Pokemon League in Kanto! You were involved in that incident in Saffron City that shut down Silph Co. for so long! You-"

"Uh," I interrupted, feeling uncomfortable. "How do you know all of this?"

"How could I not? It was worldwide news!" Cress replied.

"No way!" Chili said, mortified, his hands in shaking, tight fists at his sides. "Impossible! It's really him?"  
"Yes, it is," I muttered, nodding my head, my eyes to the ground. I really didn't want to talk about this.

"What an honor to have you as a gym challenger," Cress bowed with his brother as he spoke. "To see you here in Unova is humbling and we appreciate your trip. Good to see you looking so well."

"Thank you, thank you," I said quickly. "But I really didn't come for the fanfare. I just want to put that behind me now and focus on competing in the Unova League. So, is there some kind of problem with me not having a Unova Starter?"

"No, not at all," Cress replied. "You can choose which of us you would like to battle. You've already met my Ducklett."

"And this is my flaming star right here!" Chili said with balled fists before throwing his Poke Ball and sending out his Pokemon.

A tiny little bug looking creature cried out at me.

"Eww," I muttered, pulling out my Pokedex.

_**Larvesta. The Torch Pokemon. This Bug type Pokemon is also part Fire, giving it protection against predators. This Pokemon can be found at the foot of volcanoes.**_

"Our brother, Cilan, who is still catering to your friend, has a Deerling," Cress informed me. "A Pokemon you may be familiar with."

"Deerling?" I checked my Pokedex.

_**Deerling. The Season Pokemon. When conflict arrives in the area, they hide. They are usually found in herds due to their timid personalities.**_

I recognized the Pokemon from my ride with Virgil, nodding at the rotating picture of the brown fawn in my Pokedex. I noted in my mind that it looked different than the orange Deerling I had seen when traveling with Virgil, but then I recalled that their evolved form, Sawsbuck, change their color depending on the season. Deerling probably operate the same way, I considered. Does that mean that it's already Winter?

"For a truly inspiring battle, you're best to go with the hottest match you can get, which is from me, Chili!" Chili shouted, waving a fist at me challengingly.

"You're free to battle against me, Cress, if that's what you so desire, for a battle as collected and moving as flowing streams," Cress said, waving his open palms through the air.

I stared at Larvesta and thought about battling a Deerling for a moment before looking up at Cress.

Cress looked back at me expectantly.

"I wish to battle against you!"  
"Oh? How delightful," Cress smiled.

Pidove cooed happily on my shoulder.

I pet his head and smiled. "Sounds like he's ready for that, too!" Turning back to Cress, I said, "I did choose a Fire type as my Starter, and while I don't have him right this moment, I want to battle your Ducklett!" I smiled.

"Sound like an engaging battle. I can't wait. Of course, we'll have to wait until tomorrow when my Ducklett has recovered from its battle today."

"Right!" I nodded.

Chili laughed. "A Charizard, you say?"

"Yeah. What's so funny about that?"

Chili laughed again. "Well, you must be quite the experienced trainer! Had you had your Charizard with you, you could have had a more interesting battle!"

"How so?"

"Take a look for yourself!" Chili took a second Poke Ball from his waist and sent out a Pokemon.

A tall, red monkey resembling Pansear appearing, crying out loudly. I immediately guessed that it must be Pansear's evolved form.

"Please, see mine as well," Cress said, and sent out a blue monkey from a Poke Ball.

"Hey! What are these?" Trixa asked, pulling out her Pokedex.

_**Simisear. The Ember Pokemon and Pansear's evolved stage. It can attack by scattering flames that are inside of its body, out of its head and tail. **_

_**Simipour. The Geyser Pokemon and Panpour's evolved form. It stores water in its hair, and when it is low on water, it siphones water from its tail. Because of this, it requires living in a place where clean water is accessible.**_

"Ooooooo! Evolved forms!" Trixa exclaimed, kneeling down and staring at the two Pokemon.

Simipour and Simisear stared back at her, smiling.

"You see, we have these Pokemon that we've raised for years," Cress said gently as he gazed down at his Simipour. What appeared to be sadness came over his face as he spoke. "Cilan has a Simisage as well, which evolved from a Pansage. A while back, we closed down the gym. We wanted recognition as powerful Gym Leaders, and we didn't really feel we had that respect. So, we closed down the gym and the restaurant for a while to train and better ourselves and our Pokemon. We returned some time later and reopened the restaurant, rebuilding the gym in our spare time. The final step was the hardest, because we weren't comfortable doing it. In fact, if not for the encouragement from our three closest friends, we wouldn't have done it in the first place. We would have continued to raise them without the need for evolution, but they insisted. They wanted to be stronger, and knew that we wanted to be stronger, ourselves. We all had a dream to be great Pokemon Trainers since we were children, and we would stop at nothing to achieve that goal. We evolved our Pokemon, and it brought a new life, love, and pain, between the six of us. Indeed, our Pokemon did get stronger, and actually, haven't lost a battle since evolving."

Chili's head had lowered sadly to his Simisear as he listened to his brother's story.

"Wow…" I whispered, my eyes widening. I couldn't help but realize how similar this was to June's story about her Electivire. I was reminded of her warning to Ike, and how her warning came from a place of understanding. I had a newfound appreciation and respect for how difficult it must be to have a career where just about everything is based on winning.

The life of a Gym Leader.

The life of an Elite Four member.

The life of a Pokemon Champion.

The life of a Pokemon Master.

"Soon, we realized we were just winning, but not teaching," Cress continued. "Our Pokemon were too strong. We don't use them for beginning trainers anymore. We save them for more experienced battlers. As Gym Leaders, our goal is to teach, not defeat. So, we captured new Pokemon to use against newer trainers. We'd gladly use our other Pokemon if you had your more experienced battlers with you."

"Teach, not defeat," I repeated. "Wow. That's really thoughtful of you guys. I can tell that your perspective on being a Gym Leader is really from the heart." I paused as a memory resurfaced in my mind.

"Thank you, Gary," Cress replied. "I like to think that all Gym Leaders are about as concerned as we were with guiding Pokemon Trainers as opposed to just beating them."

"Ha. Well, I wish Pewter City's Gym Leader, back in Kanto, was as concerned as you guys are," I laughed. "Her name is Aurora. She was the first Gym Leader I ever faced. Her Pokemon were monstrously strong. I faced her with my Charmander, and we weren't all that strong at the time. We were just beginners. She tore through us easily, without mercy. Her Kabutops was unstoppable and one of the reasons she hadn't been defeated in so long. I challenged her gym again after earning seven badges and finally beat her, but even in victory, we only just barely won."

Cress shook his head sadly as he gazed at me, Chili frowning at me.

"Well, at this gym, we find that kind of battling inappropriate of a Gym Leader," Cress told me.

I nodded. "Yeah, but I'm grateful for the experience. I feel like I learned a lot from her and I'm glad me and my Pokemon went through that difficult time and came out even stronger and wiser."

"I suppose that's a way to look at it," Cress said uncertainly, his open palm underneath his chin.

I smiled, but then looked down for a moment as I thought of all of my Pokemon back in Kanto, and I sighed. Charizard. Porygon-Z. I wonder where those guys are, I thought, my heart beating a little faster, tears starting to build up behind my eyes.

"But, anyway, Trixa," Cress said, turning to her, a small black box in his hands now. "We certainly must insist on handing this to you." He bowed before her and then stood up straight. "This is for you, young lady."

Chili raised a fist eagerly. "This badge is proof of your win at the Striaton Gym. It's called the Trio Badge!"

I looked over at the box containing the badge. Its design was three golden triangles stacked on top of each other, each triangle containing a jewel, the top one colored blue, the second one colored red, and the bottom one was green.

Trixa took the badge from the box and held it up in the air, her Tepig in her other arm. "Yes! The Trio Badge is mine! Badge number two! I'm really doing it!"

I laughed as she hugged her Tepig even closer to her face and laughed joyously.

Trixa now had two badges.

I felt a sense of pride, having helped this new trainer become an even better trainer and earn two badges. But first thing tomorrow, it was my turn to battle Cress's Ducklett with my Pidove and earn my first badge in the Unova League. I pet Pidove's head again and laughed happily, excited for tomorrow to arrive for our first ever battle together.

It would be the beginning of a relationship like nothing I'd ever had before.

For better.

And for worse.


	10. Cilant Chiling Secress Of A Fowl Battler

"Ah, what a pleasant surprise," Cress said as he finished setting down a few plates full of delicious food on the table in front of a family.

Cilan and Chili were nowhere in sight in the restaurant.

"Hey, Cress!" I exclaimed.

Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at me, their eyes open wide. Excited murmurs rose up from the group of people who had been eating beforehand, eager looks on their faces now.

Cress walked up to me, June, and Trixa, and bowed, a white cloth on his left arm. "It's a pleasure to see you three here once again. Chili and Cilan will be pleased. Are you here to dine?"

I shook my head. "No way," I replied. "You know why I'm here today. It's my turn to battle you, Cress."

A thrilled shriek from the ladies in the restaurant rang out, followed by the hooting of eager men. Kids cheered happily.

Cress smiled at the commotion behind him before turning back to me. "Very well then, Gary," he nodded with a wave of his hand.

"Oh, my! How delightful!" a voice cried out.

"Alright! Our three good friends are back!" another voice said.

We turned to see Chili and Cilan appear from a door in the back. They wore warm smiles on their faces as they approached us.

"Gary! Trixa! And of course, June!" Cilan bowed to us, a white cloth on his right arm.

"I anticipated your return!" Chili said eagerly, raising a shaking fist.

"Chili!" Trixa cheered, jumping in the air in front of Chili like the little girl she was.

"That's right!" I nodded. "This time, it's my turn to win that badge!"

"Cress informed me that it was actually _you_ who survived the attack at the Pokemon League two years ago!" Cilan suddenly exclaimed. "Is this true? Are you really _that_ Gary?"

Louder murmurs came from the people in the restaurant around me.

"Yes," I said grumpily. "But I'm not here for that, please. I came to challenge the Unova League and defeat the Gym Leaders here. I just ask that that be our main objective today. Please."

"Of course!" Cilan nodded happily. "Forgive me. I'm sure that experience was a most bitter taste for you to have to endure. Whatever will dilute the sourness of that dish, allow us to cater to your very whim and deliver that which is necessary to sweeten the tart ending of your travels in Kanto."

"Uh…" I said. "Okay…?"

"Have you decided who you'd like to battle?" Cilan asked.

"I have. I'm sticking with my decision to battle Cress!" I replied.

Cress waved his hand gracefully. "It's an honor to battle you, Gary. I'm sure we'll learn quite a lot from each other during this round."

"And on that note…" Chili said.

"Allow us, the Striaton City Gym Leaders…" Cilan continued.

"To lead you towards the battlefield for the battle," Cress finished. He opened his hands and held them out towards the fireplace.  
Cilan's fingers spread wide apart as he pointed at the fireplace.

Chili, in between them, knelt down on one knee and raised two fists in the air, at the fireplace.

Like the last time, the walls split from the fireplace, the fireplace sinking into the ground, revealing the battlefield.

"I can't believe this! A battle today! We got to see one just yesterday, and now, today, it's another one!" a girl screamed as the diners all ran towards the back and disappeared down a hallway.

They boys ran behind the girls, taking the opposite path down the hallway to run through, cheering excitedly and making a ton of noise.

"Well then, I'm ready to battle!" I said. "Let's go!"

Cress nodded calmly. "Of course, Gary. Please, follow me."

Chili and Cilan followed Cress towards the battlefield.

"_HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYY!_" June shrieked in my ear.

The three brothers stopped and turned around to face us, a surprised look on their faces.

June vanished from beside me and reappeared in the next instant in front of Cilan. "You wouldn't be happening to be offering another one of those massages again, would you?" June fluttered her eyes at Cilan.

Cilan's face turned beet red and a nervous look came over his face. "Well, I suppose we still do offer that…" he replied hesitantly. "But…"

"_YAAAY!_" June screeched, and she grabbed his arm and pulled him forcefully towards the door they had both disappeared through in the back when Trixa had challenged Cress, Cilan's feet not once touching the ground as he was taken by June, the door slamming hard behind them.

"What goes on back there…?" I muttered.

"I'd say June has a crush on Cilan," Trixa giggled. "Silly. Chili is much cuter."

Chili laughed loudly, rubbing the back of his head as he began to blush.

I followed Cress and Chili to the battlefield, Chili walking outside of the field and standing at attention, Cress taking his position on the opposite end of the field.

"This is a gym match between Cress, the Gym Leader of Striaton City, and Gary from Kanto's Pallet Town," Chili announced. "This will be a one-on-one battle. The battle ends when one trainer's Pokemon is no longer able to battle. There will be no time limit! Begin!"

"Cress! Cress! Win this round! There's no challenge, win this now!" the eager audience above cheered, dressed in their cheerleader uniforms, not only men and women, but young children included up there as well, this time.

I glared at them, wishing I had some form of support on my side, too. That was when I saw Trixa.

She smiled down at me and waved, her Tepig in her arms, held tight.

I smiled back and waved, my heart beating a little bit faster at the sight of her. It's only one person, but at least it's someone, I told myself.

"Ducklett, with a splash of beauty, make your arrival!" Cress said, throwing his Poke Ball.

"Duuucklett!" Ducklett cried out.

"Pidove, go!" I shouted, throwing his Poke Ball.

Pidove let out a cry and flapped his wings, hovering in the air.

"Alright! Flying on Flying!" I cheered.

Cress didn't seem as excited as me as he smiled, his eyes closed without concern as he waved his open palm. "I insist. Go ahead."

I nodded. "Pidove, use Gust!"

Pidove flapped his wings and blew Ducklett back with a strong gust of wind.

Ducklett cried out in surprise, tumbling on the ground.

"Ducklett, get up and fight back with your Water Gun," Cress said with ease.

"Ducklett!" Ducklett cried, and fired a stream of water from its open beak at Pidove.

Pidove was knocked out of the air, falling to the ground as he cried out in surprise.

"Pidove, use Leer!"

Pidove flapped his wings and got back into the air, and his eyes glowed red.

Ducklett quacked loudly and took a step back, a determined look on its face.

"Now, use Quick Attack!" I shouted.

Pidove flapped his wings for a second, and then moved like lightning, slamming into Ducklett.

Ducklett cried out in pain and slid on its back.

"YAY! Gary, go! Go get that Ducklett!" I heard Trixa cheer for me.

I smiled, boosted by the support.

"Another Quick Attack, Pidove!"

"Ducklett, use your Aerial Ace," Cress countered.

Both Pokemon flew at one another urgently, slamming into each other, forcing each other back.

Yeah, I thought excitedly. Just what I wanted all along. Bird against bird. Flying against Flying. Pidove can do this. This battle is just perfect! Even and fair.

"Quick Attack again!" I cried.

"Use Aerial Ace to counter it!" Cress said quickly.

Both Pokemon continuously charged at each other, forcing the other back and going back for more. After several more turns of their attacks, both Pokemon stopped flying at each other, tired and breathing heavily, glaring at each other.

"Pidove, another Leer!"

Pidove used Leer on Ducklett, his eyes flashing red once more.

"Ducklett, avoid it with Aerial Ace," Cress responded cooly.

But it was too late.

Ducklett cried out as it tried to attack, held back by the intimidating Leer attack.

"Alright! Badge number one is ours! Quick Attack! Finish it!" I yelled happily, pointing at Ducklett.

Ducklett gaped in shock at Pidove, awaiting the hit.

Cress stared expectantly at Pidove, smiling with excitement.

Pidove flew gently to the ground and sat still.

Nobody moved.

I finally caught on to the fact that Pidove was not attacking and I let out a "Huh?" of confusion. "Pidove?"

Pidove pecked at the ground quietly, but didn't deliver the finishing blow.

"Pidove?" I called out.

Pidove lifted his head and turned to me. "Dove?" he said, cocking his head.

"I said to finish this with-!"

"Aerial Ace!" Cress ordered.

Ducklett flew through the air and vanished, reappearing only a few inches from Pidove, tackling him down.

Pidove slid into one of the many boulders on the field, his head slamming into it, crying out.

"Pidove!" I yelled.

"Now, Water Gun!" Cress said.

Ducklett opened its beak and blasted Pidove with its attack, Pidove crying out helplessly as the water held it against the boulder. Ducklett's attack ended and Pidove laid out on the ground, breathing hard.

"Pidove, you can do this! Gust attack!" I called out to Pidove.

Pidove shook his head and flew into the air. He began to flap his wings strongly, a gust of wind starting to push Ducklett back. And then, Pidove simply stopped attacking, his wings flapping gently, keeping him afloat. He stared at Ducklett calmly.

"Pidove!" I yelled, getting upset. "What are you doing?"

"Pidoooove?" Pidove cooed in confusion, turning his head to me.

"Attack!" I screamed.

Pidove cooed quietly, looking at me.

"What's wrong?" I screamed frantically. "Attack that thing!"

Pidove turned back to Ducklett, but didn't attack it.

Why isn't he listening to me? I wondered, terribly confused. Is he really disobeying me?

"Bubblebeam attack," Cress said with a wave of his hand.

Ducklett's beak opened and a stream of bubbles flew out, popping upon contact with my Pidove.

Pidove flapped his wings desperately as he was forced back and finally slammed into the ground.

"Pidove is unable to battle!" Chili said, a fist raised near his face. "Ducklett and Cress are the winners!"

I let out my breath loudly in disappointment, the cheerleaders cheering happily and clapping, screaming their heads off.

"No!" I cried out, staring at my defeated Pidove.

Cress calmly returned Ducklett to its Poke Ball stared down at my Pidove, shaking his head sadly. "You and Pidove are certainly not the greatest of combinations. I'd suggest you use a different Pokemon. This poor thing's disobedience cost you the match. Tomorrow, you're more than welcome to try again for your badge against any of us, but I do hope you'll be better prepared."

I felt close to tears.

Cress's words weren't harsh, but they stung nonetheless.

I returned Pidove to his Poke Ball. "I'm sorry," I said weakly. "I didn't expect that to happen." Embarrassed, I turned around, my head down, slowly exiting the battlefield amongst the cheers of Cress's squad of supporters.

"Hey! Hold on, Gary!" I heard Trixa call out to me.

I walked over to the front door of the restaurant and opened the door, feeling a wave of disappointment and concern.

Footsteps ran towards me as I left, and a hand grabbed my shoulder. "Hey! Hold on there!" Trixa said.

I turned to her for a moment and glanced weakly at her cheerful face before turning back around and continued walking to the Pokemon Center.

Trixa was silent as we entered the building, and didn't say a word as I handed Pidove's Poke Ball to Nurse Joy. She only spoke up once I wearily took my seat and let out an exhausted sigh. "Well, that was interesting, huh?"

I looked over at her blankly.

"I was sure you'd win," Trixa continued, her Tepig in her lap. She had two fingers up his snout and pulled them out only to put them back in seconds later, Tepig looking up at her in confusion. "I mean, even _I_ won! I have two badges already! You were in the Pokemon League a few years back. This gym battling thing is awfully easy."

I sighed again. "I had different Pokemon with me back then, and they obeyed me. I don't get what Pidove's problem is. He just stopped listening for some reason."

"Maybe he doesn't like you," Trixa suggested, keeping her fingers in Tepig's nostrils.

Tepig shook his head hard, freeing his snout from her fingers, and backed up from Trixa a little bit until he was on the edge of her knees. "Hmm. Maybe he's still mad over how we met him. Remember?" Trixa said. "I smacked him by accident. Maybe that's the problem."

"I don't know," I said in a low voice. "But as Pidove's trainer, I have to figure it out and get us to sync."

Trixa pulled Tepig's snout back and forth, Tepig visibly getting upset as he grunted.

"Maybe you should stop doing that," I warned her.

Trixa let go of Tepig, her eyes stuck on me. "I said I smacked him by accident…"

"Not that. I mean, messing with Tepig's face."

"Huh? I wasn't messing with Tepig's face!"

Before I could respond, someone walked into the Pokemon Center.

"June!" Trixa and I exclaimed.

She looked at us with disappointment. "I'm not surprised Gary left me, but to think that you would leave me, too, Trixa."

I shook my head and looked around the Pokemon Center, several people in the building preoccupied with their Pokemon and other people happily conversing.

"Sorry. After Gary lost, I just kind of followed him," Trixa informed June. "I was so surprised. I'm still surprised I even won. I guess I'm gonna make quick work of these gyms, huh?"

"Trixa, you're going to learn before long just how difficult these gyms are gonna be," June said seriously.  
I knew that June was getting offended by Trixa's words, having been a Gym Leader herself.

"I'm sure you did well against Cress, and your match with Ike was simple enough, but Gym Leaders are usually very experienced and they do know what they're doing," June told Trixa. "Don't get lazy. Training is important. Understanding your Pokemon is important."

"I know that," Trixa said, staring back at June firmly. "I'm just saying, I expected a challenge, and I haven't received one so far."

"Maybe you and Gary should have a battle, then," June stated.

"But I've already beaten Cress, who Gary hasn't," Trixa said. "My Pokemon listen to me, unlike his."

"What do you mean?" June asked.

"His Pidove-" Trixa started.

"I can speak for myself," I snapped at Trixa.

She stared back at me in surprise.

"Pidove stopped listening to me during the battle for some reason," I said to June. "I have no idea why."

"Well, I do," Trixa said moodily. "I think it's because I slapped him when we first ran into him."

June's eyes were glued to mine. "You say, it stopped? Like, it listened for a while, and then just stopped?"

I nodded. "Exactly."

"Excuse me, Gary?" a voice called out.

I stood up and approached the counter where Nurse Joy stood next to, an Audino by her side, holding up a Poke Ball.

"Your Pidove is fully healed and fed," Nurse Joy told me with a warm smile.

"Thanks a lot!" I exclaimed, taking the Poke Ball, smiling at Audino, and then at Nurse Joy. I couldn't get over how young the Nurse Joys in the Unova Region looked. I found myself missing Kanto a lot, now. Turning away from Nurse Joy and her Pokemon, I led the way out of the building, June and Trixa keeping close to me.

Once outside, I looked around at the sunny city, live with people walking by. A Pokemon scurried past my feet, stepping on my sneakers lightly as it ran down the sidewalk.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I've never seen that Pokemon before," Trixa smiled.

"Did he even have a trainer? Where's he going?" June questioned.

I shrugged. "Anyway." I threw Pidove's Poke Ball into the air.

It opened and with a beam of light, sent out my Pidove.

I caught the Poke Ball and looked up at Pidove. "Hey!" I said happily, smiling.

"Pidove!" he cried out, and landed on my left shoulder.

"How ya feeling?" I asked him.

Pidove cooed and rubbed his head against my cheek.

I pet his head, down to his back, and kissed his little beak. "Glad to see you're alright."

"Awww! How cute!" Trixa squealed, squeezing her Tepig in her arms, making it grunt.

That was when I noticed June's hard glare. She was staring right at Pidove.

"June?"

She stepped up to Pidove and lightened her face, smiling now. "Hello, Pidove!"

Pidove flapped his wings and happily cried out, greeting June.

"Hiiiii!" Trixa exclaimed, stepping up to Pidove eagerly.

Pidove let out a surprised cry at Trixa's enthusiasm but greeted her warmly.

"He sure is cute!" Trixa said.

June extended her arm suddenly and held it out. "Gary, tell your Pokemon to come to me."

"Huh? Why?" I asked.

"Because I'm sure your Pidove isn't disobedient. Now, help me out here, will ya?" June said impatiently.

"Pidove, fly over to June," I ordered him.

"Pidove!" Pidove fluttered his way over to June's arm and walked up it towards her shoulder.

"Now, call him back," June told me.

"Pidove, come back to me, now," I told him.

Pidove flapped over to me, landing on my shoulder.

"Now order him back to me," June said.

I sighed. "Okay… Pidove, back to June."

Pidove flew over to June's wrist, walking up her arm. Suddenly, halfway up her arm, he stopped and looked around. He looked up into the sky, down at the ground, and seemed unsure or something.

"There it is," June smiled.

"There what is?" I asked.

"Pidove, what's wrong?" June asked my Pokemon.

Pidove looked up at June and cocked his head. "Piii?"

"Okay, call him back," June nodded.

"Pidove, come here, now," I ordered.

Pidove flew from June and landed on my shoulder.

"Are we done, yet?" I asked, getting tired of this repetitive game.

"Yes. I know exactly what's wrong with your Pokemon."

"What?!" Trixa and I demanded.

"It's rather simple, actually. Your Pidove has a rather poor memory."

"A poor _memory?_" I cried out, causing Pidove to cry out in surprise and fly into the sky, circling above me.

June nodded. "Your Pidove has some kind of memory loss issue. He listens, but after a while, he forgets his orders and just won't do anything."

I gasped. "Wait a minute!" I pulled out my Pokedex as a memory surfaced.

_**Pidove. The Tiny Pigeon Pokemon. A beginning Pokemon for the beginner trainer, this Pokemon may not always understands commands from its trainer. This species of Pokemon is often forgetful.**_

"Yeah! I remember it saying that when we first met him!" I said. Worry filled my body. "So does this mean that it will always be like this? Like how Slowpoke and Slowbro are pretty dim?"

"Maybe not," June suggested. "Can it evolve?"

"I dunno," I replied, checking the Pokedex.

_**Tranquill. The Wild Pigeon Pokemon. This Pokemon has a great tracking system and is able to always locate its nest, as well as being able to always return back to its trainer, no matter the distance.**_

"Phew!" I said happily. "It loses that memory loss when it evolves. That's something to look forward to."

Pidove landed on my shoulder again, staring at the three of us.

"Well, Pidove, I guess we have to wait until tomorrow to battle Cress," I told him. "I hope you'll be ready by then."

Pidove happily cried out, flapping his wings.

"Since tomorrow's a while away, I suggest you and Trixa have a battle," June tried again.

I turned to Trixa. "What do you say? I'm game."

"Yes!" Trixa agreed. "That sounds fine to me."

A man in a suit walked by us as I took several steps back from Trixa.

June stepped off to the side. "This will be a one-on-one battle between Trixa and Gary. No time limit. Go!"

"Tepig, I choose you!" Trixa said, tossing her Tepig in front of her.

"Tepiiiiiiig!" Tepig cried out in surprise, but he landed on his feet.

"Pidove, I choose you!" I shouted, pointing in front of me.

Pidove flew from my shoulder, flapping his wings and staring at Tepig.

"I'll go first! Quick Attack!" I said.

Pidove flew at Tepig in a flash of light, tackling him to the ground.

Tepig rolled on the ground, hopping strongly to his feet.

"Tepig, Flame Charge!" Trixa said.

"Dodge that!" I responded.

Tepig stomped his feet repeatedly until his body was surrounded by flames, and then he soared at Pidove.

Pidove hovered above the attack.

Tepig hit the ground and the flames around his body faded as he glared at Pidove.

"Now, use your Gust attack!" I said happily.

Pidove descended calmly to the ground and looked around, but he didn't attack.

"Pidove! No! Focus!" I cried.

"Dove?" Pidove said, looking up at me.

"Smog attack!" Trixa commanded.

Tepig's cheeks puffed out a little bit, and then his mouth opened, a dark smoke flowing from it.

Pidove cried out in shock as the smoke reached him.

"Pidove! Gust attack!" I begged him.

When the smoke cleared, Pidove's face was flushed purple and he was choking. My Pokemon was Poisoned.

"Now, Flame Charge!" Trixa said confidently.

Tepig attacked once again with Flame Charge, slamming into Pidove, tossing him back with ease.

Pidove landed on his back, crying out weakly.

"Rollout!" Trixa continued quickly.

Tepig curled into a ball and rolled at Pidove.

"Pidove!" I cried out helplessly.

Tepig slammed into Pidove.

Pidove soared into the air, heading straight for me.

I caught him in my arms, stumbling back several feet from the force.

"Pidove…" Pidove groaned weakly.

I heard June sigh. "Pidove is unable to battle. Trixa and Tepig win."

Trixa giggled with excitement. "I knew I'd win that one!"

"Tepig! Tepig!" Tepig cried out happily.

A surge of anger flowed through my body at Trixa and Tepig's joy, but I didn't look up from my Pidove's face. With a painful feeling in my chest, I carried the only Pokemon I had, the only Pokemon I could depend on and use in Unova at the moment, back to the Pokemon Center, a scowl on my face.

As we stared at the doors of the restaurant the next day of a cool, breezy afternoon, my heart was in my throat, practically suffocating me.

"Gary, I just had a thought," Trixa said. "How about you use one my Pokemon? I actually beat Cress already, as well as you, with Tepig. I think it's a good decision to use my Tepig."

"I do not use other people's Pokemon," I growled through gritted teeth. "I'll win or lose, on my own."

"You can do it all on your own, Gary," June said, grabbing my right shoulder.

Pidove stirred on my left shoulder.

I nodded and opened the doors.

The four of us stepped inside to a familiar scene. The restaurant was packed today with people of all ages, from babies to the elderly, enjoying meals. As we entered, everyone got quiet, staring at us.

I spotted Chili, Cilan, and Cress in the back, watching the customers with warm smiles, a white cloth over one of their arms, but they looked up as we entered.

Chili raised an eager fist.

Cress was the first to step towards us, gliding smoothly.

Cilan was the last to move, a nervous look on his suddenly red face.

"It's good to see you three again," Cress bowed.

"I assume you're here for another battle, Gary?" Chili said eagerly, raising a shaking fist.

"I assume you're wanting another massage…?" Cilan blushed, looking at the ground nervously, avoiding June's eyes.

June giggled. "I see we're skipping the small talk today and going right for the goods." She looked up innocently at the ceiling and fluttered her eyes.

"June!" I yelled angrily. "Will you stick around for a battle of mine for once?"

June was speechless as she looked down at me in shock.

"I assumed you were still traveling with me to learn about Pokemon battles. You're abandoning your original claims. If you're not here for that, then what are you here for?"

"I-I-I-I'm still here for that," June stammered.

"Well, you haven't seen one battle here at this gym. How about, for a change, you stick around for the match! I would think you'd _want_ to see something like this, especially considering the circumstances I'll have in my battle, and also, to have seen how a newer trainer like Trixa would do."

June lowered her head and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Well, how about we all calm down," Cilan suggested with a chuckle. "This is becoming a very unpleasant flavor. You two seem to be displaying a rather peculiar taste today, with a dash of spice and a barely there hint of brown sugar, coated in a rather bland, weak, sweet and tangy sauce."

Everyone was staring at Cilan now.

"Huh?" I asked, scratching my head.

"Is that a new meal?" Trixa asked. "It doesn't sound too appetizing. I think it needs work."

A shrill shriek rang out in the restaurant from the ladies, while the men nodded their approval. A few babies began to cry from the sudden yells.

"Cilan did his evaluation!" one girl screamed with excitement amongst the screams.

"His what?" I asked.

Cilan laughed. "You see, I'm an S Class Pokemon Connoisseur. You're from the Kanto Region, and probably are not aware of this art. It's a profession where the compatibility of a Trainer of their Pokemon are rated. I also rate food in this manner, and the two often mesh into one, making for a rather fantastic viewing of the entire world from my perspective!"

"Um, okay," was all I could come up with.

"I haven't had the pleasure to view Cress's matches against you two properly, but judging from what I've heard, Trixa's was truly inspiring, bringing about flavors unexpected and an ending result that had to be experienced to fully be appreciated for its volume of splendid appeal and allure," Cilan said joyfully, two fingers spread apart on his chin. "Gary's match, on the other hand, sounded more like a meal that started off with a rather lush flavor, but resulted in missing key ingredients and was a meal even the most unrefined of diners would not have been able to finish."

"Dove?" Pidove cooed, twisting his head to the side.

I glared at Cilan, suddenly wanting to battle him. But, no. I was here to beat Cress.

Cilan smiled. "I'll judge this gym battle and make a more fair assumption this time." With a snap of his fingers, the walls by the fireplace spread apart once more, the fireplace descending into the floor.

The battlefield was revealed once again.

The diners ran to get changed into their cheerleader outfits once more.

"Good luck, Gary," Trixa nodded with a smile.

"I believe in you and Pidove," June said, giving me a nod.

Trixa led the way to the hallway which would lead to the stairs to watch the battle from above, June following her.

Chili, Cilan, and Cress smiled at me, and then led the way to the place of battle.

"Good luck in your match, Gary!" Chili said with an eager raise of his fist, and then he walked over to the corner, away from the battlefield.

"Yes, I hope this battle will have a pleasant taste," Cilan winked, and walked just outside of the battlefield.

Cress walked to his position as I took mine. "Well then, Gary. Shall we begin?"

Loud cries from above grabbed my attention as I saw the cheerleaders appear at the top of the balcony, cheering excitedly. "Cress will win! Cress will win! He did it once, and now again! YAAAAAAAY!"

"GO GARY!"

I looked up saw June on the opposite end of the balcony from where the cheerleaders were cheering, next to Trixa, who was smiling and clapping, whistling and jumping up and down.

"Come on, Gary! Get your badge!" Trixa screamed out.

I smiled at them and nodded, and then I turned to Cress. "Let's begin!"

"Ducklett, let's do our best to douse the competition once again!" Cress said, throwing his Poke Ball.

"Ducklett!" Ducklett cried out.

"Pidove, go!" I pointed, and Pidove flew from my shoulder, staying in the air, facing Ducklett.

"This is a one-on-one battle between Striaton City Gym Leader, Cress, and Gary from the Kanto Region's Pallet Town," Cilan stated. "There is no time limit on this match. The match will be over when one of the trainer's Pokemon is unable to battle. Let this battle begin!"

"I insist," Cress said with a wave. "You attack first."

"Right! Pidove, use Quick Attack!" I ordered.

"Piiiidove!" Pidove flew at Ducklett.

"Ducklett, Aerial Ace," Cress responded.

Both Pokemon slammed into each other repeatedly, forcing each other back. They kept flying at each other with their fast moves, neither one backing down.

"Ducklett, Water Gun!"

"Pidove, Gust attack!"

Ducklett raised a wing and sprayed water at Pidove.

Pidove flapped his wings strongly.

The Water Gun flew at Pidove, but was suddenly halted against the Gust attack, unable to reach Pidove. The attack just barely reached Pidove before it came splashing to the ground.

Ducklett quaked angrily at this, Pidove crying back determinedly.

"Not bad," Cress nodded. "Then let's try Wing Attack."

Ducklett flew at Pidove, its wings glowing white.

"Gust again! Keep it back!" I shouted.

Pidove used Gust again.

Ducklett let out a cry as it was held back by Pidove's Gust.

"Ducklett, you can do it!" Cress urged his Pokemon. "Full force. Go!"

Ducklett let out an angry cry and flew into the Gust, forcing itself forward, and smacked Pidove in the stomach with Wing Attack.

Pidove cried out in shock and hit the ground hard.

"Pidove, get up!" I yelled.

"Now catch it with Water Pulse!"

Ducklett landed on the ground near Pidove and reached its wings out in front of it. A blue orb appeared, which Ducklett tossed at Pidove.

"Dove?" Pidove sat up and saw the approaching attack. "Dove!" Pidove was hit and held captive inside of the blue orb, waves of water slamming on him until the orb finally popped. Pidove hit the ground, groaning weakly.

"Pidove, come on! Don't give up!" I encouraged him. "We can win this! You're doing great! Get up!"

Pidove managed to his feet and shook his head.

"Quick Attack!" I called out to him.

Pidove flew at Ducklett quickly, knocking it back.

"Ducklett!" Ducklett cried out angrily, shaking its head.

"Another Quick Attack!"

Pidove attacked again, forcing Ducklett onto its back.

Ducklett was looking weak now.

Alright, I thought excitedly. We're almost home. "Quick Attack once more! Give it all you've got!"

Pidove pecked at the ground quietly, and then looked up, walking away from Ducklett!

"PIDOVE!" I raged. "OF ALL TIMES, NOT NOW!"

Cress chuckled. "Aqua Ring," Cress said with a calm wave and a simple smile.

Ducklett got to its feet and its body was outlined in blue. Rings of water surrounded its body, and after a few moments, its body looked refreshed and the water rings disappeared. "Ducklett!" Ducklett shouted.

"No!" I screamed angrily, grabbing my Pokedex.

_**Aqua Ring. The user regains energy by using this attack.**_

"Now, let's start wrapping this up, Ducklett. Use FeatherDance."

Ducklett flew over Pidove as Pidove continued to peck peacefully at the ground, unaware of the battle he was in the middle of.

"Pidove, Quick Attack! Watch out!" I called to my Pokemon.

The tiny pigeon turned towards Ducklett at the sound of my voice.

Ducklett's body was outlined in gold as it flapped its wings over my Pokemon, white feathers flying out from its wings and pummeling Pidove.

Pidove cried out in shock, stumbling back.

Ducklett's attack ended, and it flew to the ground, its eyes Pidove.

Pidove glared back at it, but didn't seem hurt by the attack.

"What happened?" I asked, raising my Pokedex again.

_**FeatherDance. This move lowers the opponent's Attack.**_

"Just great," I muttered. "Now Quick Attack won't be as effective anymore. Then we have no choice. Pidove, use Gust!"

Pidove took a step forward, and then froze, cocking its head sideways at Ducklett. "Pii?"

My shoulders slumped. This isn't fair, I thought, feeling my eyes begin to water with frustration and a feeling of lack of control over the situation. He's forgetting his moves! How can I win like this? This just isn't fair!

"This ends here," Cress said. "Bubblebeam!"

Ducklett opened its beak to attack.

"DOVE!" Pidove cried out, and in a flash, flew at Ducklett, knocking it down with Quick Attack!

Ducklett's Bubblebeam came out from its beak as it slid on the ground on its back, and the bubbles crashed into the ceiling.

"What?" Cress exclaimed.

"Whoa!" I cried out.

"Ducklett, get back up!" Cress called to his duck.

As Ducklett shook its head and started to get up, Pidove knocked it right back down with Gust attack, forcing it to crash into a boulder on the field.

"Duuuuuck!" Ducklett groaned in pain.

"My Ducklett!" Cress gasped. "Aerial Ace!"

"Quick Attack!" I told Pidove.

Both birds were gone in an instant, reappearing as they slammed into each other at a blinding speed.

Ducklett overpowered Pidove and Pidove flew back hard into a boulder.

"There's no competition anymore," Cress said easily. "FeatherDance has your Pidove's Attack too low. Ducklett is too overwhelming for you to win this."

"Not a chance!" I yelled angrily

"Pidove!" Pidove seemed infuriated. He stood up and glared at Ducklett, breathing heavily, looking exhausted.

"There's no challenge, no contest! Who will win this? Cress! Cress! Cress!" Cress's groupies clapped and cheered.

"Gary! Gary! Um…" Trixa called to me, thinking to herself. "Uh… Look more happy!" She beamed proudly at her attempt at rhyming.

June covered her face with both of her hands and shook her head.

Better than nothing, I thought. I immediately had second thoughts about that, though.

Pidove flew into the air, circling above Ducklett, crying out angrily.

"Pidove, what's going on?" I called up to him. "What are you doing?"

"Pidove!" Pidove flapped his wings and then closed them around his body. His wings spread open and several light blue, 'X' shaped streams of energy flew out at Ducklett.

Ducklett's body glowed white where the attacks hit, and it was thrown back, stumbling the ground, screaming loudly in pain.

"Ducklett!" Cress gasped.

Cilan's eyes widened in shock as he watched Pidove's attack.

_**Air Cutter. This attack has a higher chance of damaging the opponent with Critical Hits.**_

"Hey, you just learned this move!" I realized, looking at Pidove's level on my Pokedex. "This is great! And it's a Special move, not a Physical one!"

Pidove abruptly stopped attacking and landed gently on the ground. He began to peck at the floor and calmly walk around the field.

"_What?!_" I screamed in shock. My heart was beating hard now as I watched my Pokemon casually stroll around the battlefield, no longer fighting.

"Ducklett is unable to battle. Pidove is the winner!" Cilan declared. "This match goes to Gary and Pidove!"

"_Whaaaaaat?!_" I gasped in disbelief.

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_" the cheerleaders all shrieked at once.

"YES!" I turned and saw June cheer happily.

"Gary did it! He won!" Trixa exclaimed, and both June and Trixa turned to hug each other, jumping up and down excitedly.

Pidove cried out in shock at the loud cries and flew into the air in fright.

Ducklett was on its back, knocked out.

Cress had one eye wide open, staring down at Ducklett in shock.

Chili's mouth was wide open, looking at Ducklett.

Cilan smiled and shrugged. "Well, that certainly had a less than desired taste, but it was entertaining, to put it mildly, and it does appear that Ducklett is beaten, so my hands are kind of tied, here."

"We…we…" I stammered. "We…_won!_" I ran onto the battlefield towards Pidove. "Pidove, you did it! You won it!"

"Pidove?" Pidove looked around and saw the defeated Ducklett. "Pidove! Pidove!" He flew towards me and I grabbed him in my hands gently, pulling him into a hug. "We did it! Pidove, you won!" With a sigh, I held him in my hands and smiled. "That was way too close for comfort, Pidove. We really need to work on that memory of yours."

Pidove nodded and smiled, cooing happily in my hands.

"But for now, we won our first badge in Unova!" I cheered.

Cress returned his Ducklett to its Poke Ball and was joined by his brothers as they approached me, smiling.

I set Pidove on my arm.

Chili handed Cress a small, black box, containing the Trio Badge.

Cilan stood on the other side of Cress. "However strange and unfulfilling that match was," Cilan commented, his smile fading slightly, raising one finger to his cheek.

"You still won it and kept things heated!" Chili continued.

"And I proudly hand to you your first badge here in Unova," Cress bowed.

"Wow," I whispered. "I can't believe it!" I took my badge from the box and held it up high. "Look, Pidove! Our first badge! The Trio Badge!"

"Pidoooove!" Pidove happily cheered.

"I must say, though, as a Pokemon Connoisseur, you and Pidove do not seem to contain the best blend of Pokemon and Trainer," Cilan mentioned. "I think you two make a rather undesirably sour concoction and I'd recommend you seeking a different kind of Pokemon, instead."

I opened my mouth to snap at Cilan, sick of his stupid evaluations, ready to let him hear my own opinion about him as anger took over my body entirely.

"Gary…" I heard a voice sing gently behind me as a hand landed on my shoulder.

I turned around to see June and Trixa smiling at me, June's hand on my shoulder. She nodded at me.

Squinting at her, I took a couple of deep breaths before turning around to face Cilan. "I respect and understand your feelings," I told him calmly. "However, I recommend you wait until the Pokemon League begins and watch me there. Then you can tell me what you think of me and my Pokemon after we've had time to work together and establish a true bond with one another."

Cilan's eyes widened at my words. With a light chuckle, he nodded. "Well then, we shall see!" He extended his hand, and I grasped it tightly, shaking it.  
I shook Chili's strong hand, and lastly, Cress's gentler grasp.

"It was an honor to have met you, Gary. Thank you for visiting Striaton Gym," Cress said. "Might we treat you to one last meal? A special dinner before you head off to your next destination."

I turned to June and Trixa's eager faces before looking back at Cress. "It'd be an honor."

"Free food!" Trixa cheered.

"Yes, indeed…" June said slyly. "But it's still only the afternoon. 'Dinner' won't be for a few more hours." She smoothly crept up to Cilan. "And that battle was awfully strenuous to watch…"

Cilan's face turned a dark red. "I see…"

"I have an idea," Cress said. "How's about all three of you enjoy a special massage from us as well? Chili will specially cater to you." Cress turned to Trixa with a nod.

Trixa let out a shrill squeal of joy.

"I can pass on the massage," I said flatly. "Honest."

The three brothers laughed at my statement.

Pidove cooed on my shoulder, rubbing his head against my cheek.

I pet his head and smiled. "Let's get back to the Pokemon Center while the girls enjoy themselves here. We'll come back later for dinner."

Pidove nodded in agreement.

At that, we separated.

Trixa talked to Chili rapidly as he led her to the back.

Cilan was June's property and she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him through the door in the back, flying past Chili and Trixa.

Pidove and I left the gym, heading to the Pokemon Center.

We were all so happy and carefree, feeling good after my win at the Striaton Gym.

None of us knew of the changes that were soon to come.


	11. The Mole Among Us

"My mom and dad are so proud of me," Trixa said proudly. "They said I'll be a Pokemon Master in no time with the way things are going for me so far. And my little brother is just too cute! He really misses me. It was heartbreaking seeing him cry out to me. He wants to travel with me."

"Aww! That's so precious!" June gushed.

"He's the sweetest, cutest little guy in the world," Trixa smiled lovingly at June. "Sometimes, I just wanna run back home and stay with him instead of traveling."

There's an idea, I thought to myself, looking at Trixa from the corner of the eye.

"But I want to really be something big in life and make my mom and dad proud," Trixa continued.

Like a big time mental case? I thought as I gazed down at the Town Map I had open in my hands. I dunno how proud that'll make your parents but you definitely are there already.

"And Prof. Juniper was so happy to hear about my second badge win, too!" Trixa added.

June and I gazed at her, our eyes wide, silently.

"Is that all she said…?" June asked hesitantly.

Trixa turned to us and looked up at the sky thoughtfully, her finger on her chin. "Hmmm. She said I'm doing really well and she's really happy I caught a Pokemon, but she wants me to try harder to capture more. Then, she had to leave to take care of some stuff. She was very busy when I called. I was just about to mention your win, too, Gary." Her finger fell to her side and her eyes turned to me as she smiled. "Next time I call her, you'll be the first thing I mention to her. Promise. Me and my silly memory." She giggled.

"Don't worry about it," I mumbled. Prof. Juniper still hasn't asked about us, I thought with worry as my eyes returned to the Town Map. Has she forgotten about us? Did she not talk to Prof. Oak that day we ran away from her? Maybe Prof. Oak was hurt really badly when Porygon-Z shocked him, and he's been in the hospital ever since! He was paralyzed on the ground when I saw him last, groaning in pain. I really hope he's alright. Should I call him? At some point, I'll have to. I need to know if Charizard and Porygon-Z made it back or not. I also want to see all of my Pokemon again.

My first badge in Unova, the Trio Badge, flashed in my mind. Back in Kanto, I called my mom up after I won a badge, although that usually led into another demand for me to come home, leading to an argument. After a while, I started calling her a lot less. I hope she's okay, I thought, my eyes suddenly filling with tears. I hope Rotom didn't hurt her. Despite the issues we had with each other, I still love you, mom. And I know you love me, too.

"Have you found out the location of the next gym?" June asked.

I turned to her quickly, surprised. "Huh? Oh." I closed my eyes and shook my head hard, returning to the map.

"Are you okay?" June stared at me, her eyes wide with concern.

"Of course I am!" I said roughly, blinking my vision clear. "It looks like we have a couple of options from here. There's a gym in Nacrene City up ahead, and then we have the Steel type gym in Vancteck City, which is a bit closer than Nacrene City."

"I believe Nacrene City is where the Rock Gym is at, run by Diggy," Trixa said to me. "He's the son of the owners of a famous museum in Nacrene. They do a lot of research on fossils."

Pidove sat on my left shoulder, looking down at the Town Map with me.

"A museum sounds nice!" June said. "I think Nacrene City sounds like an awesome place!"

"We're not going to a museum, June," I said flatly. "Or at least, I'm not."

"Grrrr," June growled, crossing her arms. She turned to Trixa. "Well, I say we should vote on it. What do you think we should do, Trixa? Wouldn't you like to see a museum that has a lot of information on fossils and stuff?"

"Not really," Trixa said with a bored tone. "That Steel gym sounds good, though. I have Fire types. Steel is weak to Fire, right? I think we should go there."

"Pansear!" Pansear cried. He was sitting on top of Trixa's shoulders, one leg on each shoulder, his feet wrapped around her neck, his hands and head resting lazily atop her head.

"I think Pansear agrees!" Trixa laughed.

I smiled, but it faded shortly after. "Well, this isn't exactly a vote, anyway," I said seriously. "I want to go to Vancteck City, and that's pretty much the end of it."

"Control freak," June muttered.

I turned to her and glared. "Perhaps Trixa and I will go to Vancteck City, and you can go to Nacrene City," I offered.

June sighed. "I'm sick of arguing with you and your controlling ways," June said angrily. "It'd be nice to compromise for once, you know? Visit new places together. Enjoy the sights. Have _fun!_ But with you, it's work, work, work!"

"Nothing wrong with that," I said in a low voice. "This is pretty much my journey. It's all of our journey, but I'm on my own path. I won't sacrifice where I'm headed for others. We all have to advance in our own ways. That's what being a Pokemon Trainer is all about."

"Making friends and showing a little compromise never hurt anyone," June said sharply.

"You're the one following me," I shot back. "So, I'm _supposed_ to be leading the way. Trixa, on the other hand, well…" I turned to her.

Trixa stared back.

"Well, she's more than welcome to join us, but going off on her own is also not a bad idea," I said finally. I looked away from her and focused on the surrounding trees.

The path was unclear, and as I led the way towards Vancteck City, based on the directions of the Town Map, the path got even more crowded with trees. The air was cool, and as we got deeper into the woods, it got a little more chilly.

I zipped up my jacket and a breeze immediately blew by, giving me the shivers.

"I hope we don't get lost," Trixa said with concern.

A strong gust of wind pushed against us, slowing us down a little as we pressed on.

Winter's showing itself, I thought. It's about to get really cold.

As the five of us pushed on, the wind seemed to get even stronger in response, trying its best to push us backwards.

"Whoa!" June exclaimed. "This is getting pretty serious, now!"

We struggled forward, one step at a time, the wind roaring at us.

I closed my eyes as they teared up.

It wasn't long before several loud cries rang out through the surrounding area.

"Huh?" I said, squinting through the wind.

Several white balls of fluff with green appendages by their sides, flew past the five of us.

"What's that?" June cried as she ducked to her knees.

I didn't move, watching as the strange creatures flew by us, resembling balls of cotton with leaves by their sides, crying out.

"Those are Cottonee!" Trixa said happily.

"Cottonee?" I pulled out my Pokedex.

_**Cottonee. The Cotton Puff Pokemon. They intimidate foes by puffing out their cotton around them. These friendly Pokemon are easily blown around by the wind.**_

"A new Pokemon!" I exclaimed eagerly.

Several of the Cottonee flew around the trees, escaping deeper into the thick collection of trees, and the wind finally began to die down.

"Come on! Let's catch one!" I ran only a couple of steps forward before one of the Cottonee slammed into a tree and fell to the ground.

"Coooottoneeee!" it cried out, its voice light and reminiscent of a sheep.

"Pidove, Quick Attack!" I yelled as I came to a stop several feet away from the cottony Pokemon.

"Piiiii!" Pidove flew out at Cottonee at lightning speed and tackled it.

Cottonee cried out and sat still on the ground.

"Now, wrap this up with Gust!" I ordered.

Pidove's wings flapped gently, keeping himself in the air, and he stared quietly at Cottonee. He didn't attack.

"Pidove? _Pidove!_" I screamed angrily as I realized what was happening.

Cottonee got up and faced Pidove with an angry glare.

"Pidove! This is no time to be getting forgetful!" I called out to him. "Quick Attack!"

Cottonee's body started to glow a light green.

Pidove shook his head and flew at Cottonee quickly, knocking it over and causing the glow to disappear.

"Alright! Now, like I said before, use Gust attack!" I repeated.

Cottonee suddenly leaped high into the air above Pidove at a blinding speed and began to shiver its body. A golden powder came off of its body and surrounded my Pidove as he looked around in shock.

"How did it move that fast?" I gasped.

Pidove fell to the ground, crying out in pain.

"That's Stun Spore!" June cried.

He's Paralyzed, I growled silently to myself. "Pidove! Fight it! Use Gust attack!"  
Pidove remained on the ground, trembling against the Paralysis.

Cottonee fell to the ground and started glowing again, a beam firing out at Pidove.

Pidove cried out in pain as the beam hit him.

Cottonee began to look visibly healthier.

"It's one of the draining moves!" I said loudly. "Absorb, or maybe Mega Drain or Giga Drain! It's sapping Pidove's health!"

Cottonee's attack ended, and Pidove was left breathing hard. Cottonee looked a lot better and eager for more.

"Pidove, get up and use that Gust!" I ordered.

Cottonee cried out and the two leaves on the sides of its body glowed light green and began to wave. Multiple leaves fired from them and hit Pidove, knocking him over as he was starting to get back up.

Pidove shook his head and climbed back onto his talons, but then he twitched in pain, falling to the ground.

"Pidove! Come on!" I urged as he struggled to fight through the Paralysis he was suffering from. "Quick Attack!"

Cottonee floated over, closer to Pidove, ready to attack again, when a sudden gust of wind blew through the area. Cottonee cried out in surprise as it was easily blown through the air.

"Pidove!" Pidove cried out, and flew at Cottonee with Quick Attack. His attack hit, forcing the already flying Cottonee, back, slamming it into a tree.

"Now, Gust attack!" I ordered.

Pidove attacked with Gust, the wind behind him blowing even stronger, and creating a small tornado in the area that pulled in Cottonee and had it swirling in circles. The wind finally died down again and Pidove dropped to the ground as Paralysis took over again.

Cottonee was released from the tornado as it dissipated. It fell to the ground, a dizzy look on its face as it groaned weakly, not moving.

I grabbed my Poke Ball and made it larger. "Here we go! Poke Ball!" I threw it hard at Cottonee.

The Poke Ball bounced off of Cottonee's head, opened, and sucked it inside with a red beam before falling to the ground, the button in the middle glowing red, shaking hard.

Pidove managed to stand up and he stared at the shaking Poke Ball.

The Poke Ball shook hard some more.

_PING!_

The light on the Poke Ball faded away.

"Yes! Cottonee is mine!" I cheered, running towards it and picking it up. "We did it, Pidove! We caught a Cottonee!"

Pidove seemed thrilled and flew into the air, circling over my head.

I turned to June and Trixa with a happy smile.

June smiled back. "Congratulations!"

Trixa had an upset look on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"_I _wanted that Pokemon," Trixa said, shaking her head. "You just totally took it from me!"

"Huh? I just…"  
"I really don't like how you're always being a control freak. June was right. That wasn't cool at all."

"What? Wait! I wasn't trying to be a control freak! I just wanted to catch one of the Cottonee!"  
"Yeah? Well, you caught the only one in the area. The others got away," Trixa said angrily. "You could have at least asked if I wanted it, first."

Pansear cried out angrily at me, waving his fist.

My face fell. "I wasn't trying to be mean or anything. I'm sorry, Trixa."

Trixa lowered her head and sighed. "Just forget it."

Pansear cried out once more before quieting down, glaring at me, and his trainer turned around and walked away.

I felt a little bad, but I hadn't really done anything wrong. Trixa had more Pokemon than I do! I argued in my head. Now, we're even! I considered bringing this fact up to her, but decided not to.

"Piiidove," Pidove moaned.

"Pidove!" I cried out, turning to him.

He was moaning weakly from the pain of Paralysis he was suffering from.

"Hold on!" I knelt down and opened my bag. "We bought some items at the Poke Mart." Before I could find the item I was looking for, I hear some kind of disturbance in the area.

Trixa stopped and gasped.

June had been watching me try and heal my Pidove, but turned around at the sound of Trixa's gasp.

A strange mole looking Pokemon had dug up through the ground, staring at us.

Trixa screamed happily and pointed at the little Pokemon.

It immediately dug its way back down into the hole it appeared from.

"_Nooooooooo!_" Trixa cried out in shock.

"Good job, Trixa," I said, digging through my bag again. "You scared it away. You can't blame me for that one."

"That's no _faaaaaaaiirrrrr!_" Trixa screeched, stomping her foot repeatedly on the ground.

Pansear screeched angrily with Trixa.

I finally found a Full Heal and sprayed Pidove's body with it.

Pidove's eyes closed as I sprayed him, and finally, he opened then and flapped his wings, crying out happily.

I stood up and smiled at my Pokemon.

Pidove flew onto my left shoulder and cooed peacefully.

"So, what was that Pokemon?" I asked a still raging Trixa who was still stomping on the ground.

She stopped her stomping and turned to me, her eyes wide with innocence. "I dunno."

I slapped my forehead and sighed. "Well, let's just get going. Vancteck City isn't much further from here. Maybe another day or two. Less if we keep up a good pace."

"Fine," Trixa grumbled.

I led the way once again and looked at the Poke Ball still in my hand, smiling. An excited feeling ran throughout my body. A new Pokemon, I thought cheerfully. This is so cool! A Cottonee. I was having flashbacks to the days when I had captured my first Pokemon. Mankey. Weedle. Hoothoot. Metapod. Such cherished, memorable times for me. My walking slowed down as I thought about Weedle. I wonder how he's doing… I thought, a wave of sadness sweeping over me. Where is he? Whatever the situation is with you and Drock, I hope you're happy. I hope we'll meet again, Beedrill. I hope you're safe. I won't ever forget you. I hope that, maybe, you think about me on occasion. But most of all, I only care for your happiness. My eyes teared up as a depressing pain made my shoulders droop, my body slow down as I walked, my body filling with what felt like molasses or glue as my body seemed to come close to a complete stop.

A sound disrupted my thoughts and emotions.

I tried ignoring it, but curiosity got the best of me and I turned around to see that June and Trixa had also stopped walking and were looking behind them.

It was the mole Pokemon! It had dug up from the ground again, now standing where we had walked away from, and had begun slashing one of its huge claws at a tree trunk repeatedly.

Trixa pulled out her Pokedex. "There it is again," she whispered.

_**Drilbur. The Mole Pokemon. This Pokemon is quick at digging and hard to capture for this reason. It lives secluded in caves and underground areas, and will fight if bothered.**_

"So it's a Drilbur," I said.

"Dril?" Drilbur stopped slashing the tree trunk and turned to us.

Something large fell from the tree branches and dropped on top of Drilbur's head.

"Drilbur!" it cried out in shock as it looked down at the piece of fruit that fell. It smiled and picked it up.

"That thing is mine!" Trixa said, running forward with a Poke Ball in her hand. "Tepig, Flame Charge!" She tossed her Poke Ball.

"Tepiiiig!" Tepig cried out, landing on the ground. He stomped on the ground repeatedly before becoming engulfed with fire and he flew out at Drilbur, knocking it over.

Drilbur's fruit flew from its claws as the Pokemon hit the ground on its back. Growling angrily at Tepig as it got back up, its claws glowed white as it slashed its claws together, making a sharp noise in the air.

"Hone Claws!" June called out. "He's raising his Attack and Accuracy!"

"Another Flame Charge!" Trixa ordered.

Tepig attacked again, knocking over Drilbur.

Drilbur jumped to his feet, shaking off the damage, and attacked Tepig rapidly with Fury Swipes, his claws glowing white, cutting into Tepig's body. Before Tepig could recover from the hit, Drilbur dug underground.

"It got away!" Trixa said with disappointment. "Why didn't it stick around? That's so unfair!"

"Trixa, wait!" I shouted.

The ground shook hard and Drilbur appeared from the ground, right underneath Tepig, delivering a powerful blow to the little pig.

"Teeeepig!" Tepig screamed as he soared through the air, landing hard.

"Tepig! Oh, no!" Trixa gasped.

Tepig got to his feet, shaking his head hard.

Drilbur did Hone Claws again, raising his Attack and Accuracy even further. He ran at Tepig and raised one large, glowing claw, hitting Tepig with Slash attack.

Tepig flashed white where the attack landed, indicating a Critical Hit, suffering Tepig even more damage than normal. He rolled along the ground and remained still.

Drilbur dug through the ground and didn't come back.

"Tepig!" Trixa ran to her Pokemon and knelt down by him, rubbing his head. "Come back! Get some rest! Poor thing!" She returned him to his Pokemon and sighed, looking ready to cry.

"Pansear! Pan!" Pansear rubbed the top of Trixa's head with both of his hands, smiling.

Trixa smiled, trying to stare up at Pansear, and giggled. "I guess next time it'll be you and me battling that thing, huh?"

"Pansear!" Pansear exclaimed.

"We were lucky to see him twice," June noted. "Seeing him a third time seems a little unlikely. Why would he come back here again? He has no reason."

I looked over to where Drilbur had escaped. "June's right. Let's keep going." I was ready to walk away, but I froze.

June and Trixa stared at me as I focused on something.

"What's wrong, Gary?" June asked.

I turned to Trixa with a smirk. "You really want that Drilbur, huh?"

"Yeah!" Trixa replied.

I turned to June. "I have a feeling we can get that thing to come back, at least one more time."

"How?" June and Trixa questioned with surprise.

June, Trixa, Pansear, Pidove, and I huddled close together by a large bush, several feet away from where I had explained my plan to them to catch the Drilbur a couple of hours or so ago. We could see a bunch of fruit underneath a tree, gathered there by us after we had repeatedly kicked and otherwise attacked the tree trunk Drilbur had been hitting, and we gathered the fallen spoils. We ran off deeper into the woods to hide and wait for Drilbur's arrival.

"Well, this is d-" Trixa started as she stood up, and mumbled against my hand I clasped my hand over her mouth as I pulled her back down, angrily.

"Shut up, you idiot," I whispered.

"Gary, I think she's right," June said, a weary look on her face.

"Will you both be quiet?" I whispered louder, getting impatient.

"Gary, I'm sorry, but he's not-" June tried.

I waved my hand angrily and pointed ahead as a movement grabbed my attention.

June, Trixa, and Pansear turned to see a rustling in the grass as a Pokemon came out.

"That's a Patrat," Trixa said with disappointment.

I sighed, no longer holding up any hope myself.

"Well, she's cute," June smiled.

Patrat sniffed the ground and got closer to the fruit. She grabbed a little yellow berry and nibbled on it, her tail wagging rapidly.

"I guess a Patrat is better than nothing," Trixa stated.

Suddenly, Patrat froze and turned around in our direction, her eyes wide in fear. Her attention was then grabbed as she looked away from us, behind her.

The ground broke apart and Drilbur popped his head out from the hole!

"Yes!" I whispered excitedly. "He's back!"

Drilbur looked happily at the fruit in the area by Patrat.

Patrat turned in our direction again, and then back to Drilbur.

Drilbur smiled and walked over to the pile of fruit and grabbed a blue piece of fruit and held it up, saying something happily to Patrat.

Patrat said something to Drilbur and then looked back to us before scurrying away into the woods.

Drilbur looked at Patrat in confusion, his smile fading, before smiling again and happily ate the fruit he had in a couple of bites.

"No escape this time!" Trixa shouted, and ran at Drilbur, Pansear running alongside her, screeching his name determinedly.

"Drilbur!" Drilbur cried out in surprise, seeing Trixa and her Pokemon. Drilbur dropped his fruit and dug into the ground.

"Go after it!" Trixa ordered.

Pansear dug underground after Drilbur.

Neither Pokemon reappeared after a while.

The four of us were watching the area quietly.

The ground shook and Pansear burst from the underground, Drilbur right underneath him, forcing him up with a Super Effective punch to his stomach.

Pansear landed on the ground hard.

Drilbur came back down and used Slash attack on Pansear, throwing Pansear back, and he landed near Trixa.

"Pansear!" Trixa called out to him. "Let's win this one! I know we can do it! Get up and use Yawn attack!"

Pansear got up and opened his mouth wide, sending out multiple bubbles at Drilbur.

"Driiiiiilbur!" Drilbur spun rapidly and charged into the bubbles, popping them and tackling Pansear to the ground.

"Paaaannn…" Pansear groaned.

Drilbur took the opportunity to use Hone Claws again.

"Pansear, please! You have to get up! We can't lose like this! Use your Bite attack!" Trixa pleaded.

Pansear got to his feet, wobbling a little, and jumped at Drilbur, sinking his teeth into Drilbur's arm.

Drilbur cried out in pain, trying hard to shake off Pansear, finally tossing the monkey back.

"Flame Burst!" Trixa ordered.

Pansear let out a ball of fire from his mouth, into the air, and it exploded and showered Drilbur in flames.

Drilbur dug underground before being touched by any of the dowsing flames, and appeared within seconds underneath Pansear, knocking him over.

"Pansear, nooo!" Trixa said sadly.

Pansear pushed himself up, but Drilbut attacked with Fury Swipes and Pansear stumbled back, colliding with a tree, which he finally leaned against wearily and collapsed.

Trixa let out a loud cry and ran past Drilbur, towards her Pansear, and picked him up, pressing her head to his body.

Drilbur smiled and turned back to me and June. "Drilbur!" He raised his claws high and looked down at the ground, ready to dig away.

"NO!" I shouted, and threw a Poke Ball at Drilbur. "Cottonee, I choose you!"

"Coooottoneee!" Cottonee sang out, looking a little tired, hovering in the air.

"We're not done with you, yet!" I told Drilbur as I pulled out my Pokedex to check out Cottonee's moves. "Okay, Mega Drain!" I shouted.

Before Cottonee could attack, Drilbur leaped at Cottonee and swiped at it repeatedly.

Cottonee hit the ground hard but managed to get back up, hovering in the air

"Try again, one more time!" I demanded.

Cottonee used Mega Drain, a green, star shaped leaf on the back of its body glowing white, Cottonee's body glowing light green, and a beam of light green light reached from each glowing leaf and headed for Drilbur.

Drilbur dug underground, escaping the attack, and appeared again in seconds by attacking Cottonee with Dig attack.

Cottonee hit the ground, squirming in pain.

"Cottonee!" I said loudly. This Drilbur is damn well tough, I thought angrily. And Cottonee is weak from our battle with Pidove. Both Pidove _and_ Cottonee are weakened, but they both have an advantage over Drilbur. "Cottonee, do you need to return?"

Cottonee shook its head hard and got back up into the air, shaking weakly as it struggled to keep on going.

Drilbur is so fast, I realized. If only we could get one little hit in and get some energy back with Mega Drain!

"Move as fast as you can, Cottonee! Mega Drain!" I shouted angrily.

Drilbur took a strong leap at Cottonee, his claws clawing white, and Cottonee tried to attack with Mega Drain. Drilbur slashed at Cottonee repeatedly, taking it to the ground.

"Gary, use another Pokemon or something!" June begged. "Drilbur is just too quick! Cottonee won't get a hit in! He's just too slow!"

I gripped Cottonee's Poke Ball, knowing I couldn't just let him continue to get beat up like this. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and gathered all of the energy and determination inside of me to scream out, "Cottonee, Stun Spore! NOW!"

Drilbur once again ran at my weakened Cottonee, his claws gleaming like metal.

"Gary, it's Metal Claw!" June screamed.

Cottonee moved with stunning speed, actually getting back into the air, and his body shook hard as a golden powder fell from his body.

Drilbur, leaping into the air, was hit by the powder and screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, the metal sheen to his claws disappearing instantly.

"Hey!" I screamed happily. "You did it! Cottonee, you got him!"

Cottonee cried out happily, weakly.

"This is our chance! Mega Drain!" I commanded my Pokemon.

Cottonee attacked once again, and he caught Drilbur as he was squirming on the floor.

Drilbur cried out in pain from the powerful attack weakening him as Cottonee regained health. When the attack ended, Drilbur managed to his feet, but then he bent over, twitching from Paralysis.

"Again! Mega Drain!"

Cottonee sapped Drilbur once again, dropping Drilbur to his knees as he screamed in pain.

Drilbur was holding himself up by his claws after Mega Drain ended, heaving heavily.

"Now, Leech Seed!"

A seed sprouted from the top of Cottonee's white fluff on his head, and it soared at Drilbur, landing on his head, and vines sprouted from the seed, wrapping around him, draining his energy.

Drilbur collapsed to the ground.

I watched as Drilbur remained still on the ground, Leech Seed absorbing his health, and I grabbed my Poke Ball. "Oh!" I turned to Trixa.

She was still holding her Pansear, her eyes gleaming with tears, looking right at me.

I looked back into her eyes.

The only sound was Drilbur crying out in pain from the Leech Seed attack.

"Trixa," I nodded. "Go ahead."

Trixa turned to Drilbur, who was now getting to his feet, still struggling from the Leech Seed attack that was draining his energy. She turned back to me and shook her head. "You earned it, Gary. You should capture it."

I shook my head. "We went through all of this for you, Trixa. You caught Pidove for me. I owe you one. This is your capture. Go on."

"Cottoneeeeeee!" Cottonee cried out.

We all turned to see Cottonee on the ground, Drilbur's claws gleaming with metal, showing he had just used Metal Claw on my Pokemon.

Cottonee got back up from the ground, floating into the air.

I turned back to Trixa. "Come on! Do it!" I yelled at her.

"I'm not going to!" Trixa yelled back. "It'd be gone if I were alone. _You_ weakened it, not me! _You_ beat it! Now, catch it!"

"Coooooottoneeeee!" Cottonee screamed out again.

We all looked at Drilbur as he swiped at Cottonee with Slash attack, Cottonee's body shaking visibly as he struggled to stay afloat and not give in.

"Gary, do something!" June shouted shrilly, fear on her face.

I turned from June to Trixa. "Trixa! Please!"

"Catch that Drilbur, Gary!" Trixa begged, hugging her Pansear in her arms.

Cottonee slid on the ground, in between Trixa and I, and we both gasped, turning to Drilbur.

"DRIIIIILBURRRRR!" he screamed, raising his arms into the air, and dug through the ground.

"_It's getting away!_" Trixa shrieked.

Half of Drilbur's body got underground before he rose his body out of the hole and fell onto his back, twitching from Paralysis, crying out in pain, still being sapped by the Leech Seed.

I growled angrily and stared at the Poke Ball in my hand.

Drilbur managed painfully to his feet and stumbled towards the hole to escape.

"_GARY!_" June yelled as loud as she could.

"Poke Ball!" I shouted, throwing it at Drilbur.

Drilbur leaped for the hole desperately.

The Poke Ball hit him in the stomach and it opened, a red beam sucking him inside. The button glowed red as it shook on the ground.

Nobody spoke as we watched the Poke Ball shake vigorously on the ground.

The Poke Ball seemed to stop suddenly.

We all gasped happily.

The red glow is still on the Poke Ball button, I realized in shock.

The Poke Ball suddenly shook again, even harder, making us all let out our breaths with disappointment. And it continued to shake.

The Poke Ball suddenly stopped shaking and the red light vanished with a _PING!_

I let out my breath loudly. "Ha!" I gasped. "I did it! YES!" I ran to the Poke Ball and picked it up. "I caught a Drilbur! I caught him!"

Pidove, on my shoulder, cried out loudly, joyfully, and flew into the air, fluttering joyfully.

Cottonee happily cheered, floating only a couple of feet in the air, visibly tired.

"Cottonee! Thank you so much!" I hugged him and felt his soft body in my arms, against my face, feeling like the softest cotton I'd ever touched. I breathed into his body and didn't want to let go. "You were just fantastic, Cottonee!"

"Cottoneeeee!" he replied.

"Good job, Gary," Trixa said.

I let go of Cottonee and turned to her. "Trixa."

She had a smile on her face as she walked over to me, her Pansear still in her arms. "When I earn a capture, I'll make a capture. You earned that." Her smile faded as she shook her head. "You almost let that thing get away, and got your Cottonee hurt unnecessarily in the process. I really should have caught that Cottonee myself. I wouldn't have let it get hurt like that."

"You're right." I turned to Cottonee. "I'm really sorry, Cottonee."

"Cooootttonee!" he said happily, waving his leaves at me, not seeming upset at me at all.

"You got lucky with it," Trixa said, staring at Cottonee. "That Drilbur was fast, but you motivated Cottonee to move quicker and got that Stun Spore out before Drilbur could land another hit!"

"You're right!" I exclaimed. "Thanks for that, Cottonee. I knew you could do it."

"Cottonee! Coooottoneee!" he cried out.

"Huh?" June said, stepping towards us, a stunned look on her face, her eyes on Cottonee. "Really?"

"Cottonee?" Cottonee turned to June.  
"Is that really what happened?" June asked him, smiling.

"Cottonee!" Cottonee said, bouncing in my arms softly.

"What?" I asked June.

"Is June reading Pokemon again?" Trixa asked excitedly, bouncing in place.

June smiled and turned to Trixa, and then faced me. "You know what, Gary? I think Cottonee has an Ability that allowed him to move first! You should check your Pokedex."

"Whoa! Really?" I pulled out my Pokedex.

_**Prankster. This Ability allows the user to usually go first if it uses a Status move.**_

"Prankster Ability!" I said happily. "Well, that explains a lot!"

June giggled and Trixa smiled, looking around the area.

There was still so much for me to learn about the Pokemon world, and my goal was to approach everything I possibly could that was out there for me to learn, one day at a time, and become a true Pokemon Master.

"Hey! A Pokemon!" Trixa screamed, and she took off through the woods.

"Huh? Where? What is it?!" I cried, looking around.

"This one's mine, Gary!" Trixa yelled back at me, disappearing into the trees.

"Don't get lost!" I urged, returning Cottonee to his Poke Ball while running after Trixa.

Pidove cried out as he flew after me.

"Don't lose me, either! Wait up!" June called.

Trixa.

June.

Pansear.

Pidove.

And myself.

Running deeper into a strange forest we had no business running through so haphazardly, chasing after a Pokemon Trixa was determined to capture.

On our way to Vancteck City.


	12. Back For The Future

Trixa led the way, June and I following behind her.

Pidove flew above my head, keeping up to us desperately as he cried out on occasion.

Trixa held her beaten Pansear in her arms as she ran forth.

June followed closely behind me.

I still couldn't see what Pokemon Trixa was chasing after, but I ran after her, eager to find out what Pokemon she was so interested in.

Trixa ran fast, her feet stomping the ground, desperate to track down this mystery Pokemon.

Our little group ran through the woods, eventually gasping for air as we all got tired, but not daring to slow down.

I had captured two brand new Pokemon, now owning three Pokemon on my team.

Trixa had two. This was Trixa's turn to capture a Pokemon, and we wouldn't give up on catching it.

On that inspiration, we ran together.

I wonder what Trixa found, I thought as I struggled to keep up with her. I wanted to stop running, my legs tiring out. Glancing down at the Town Map, I tried to guess where we were as we ran blindly through the trees.

Trixa finally stopped running and bent over, holding onto her knees, gasping for air.

I ran past Trixa several feet before stopping, turning back to her, June running past me and turning back, holding her stomach, breathing heavily.

"Trixa?" I said with exhaustion.  
Trixa fell down onto her backside. "I give up." She lowered her head and continued to breathe hard.

I fell onto my knees and stared at Trixa in disappointment. "That's it?"  
I heard June cry out and collapse to the ground.

"We ran after whatever it was, forever!" I complained, trying not to get too angry.

Trixa sprawled out on the ground on her back. "I'm done. I'll just capture the next Pokemon. I can't keep going."

"You've got be kidding me," I sighed and fell onto my back, my throat sore and dry, desperate for water.

June sighed. "Well, that was a waste of my energy."

"It got away. The thing was fast. I don't even know where it went."

"How long after it got away did you stop chasing it?" I asked slowly, frowning.

"I don't know. How long were we chasing it?" Trixa asked.

"At least fifteen minutes," I responded.

"About that long," Trixa said, turning to me. "I couldn't see it for a long time, but I kept on running, hoping I'd find it."

"Excuse me?" I said in disbelief.

"About that long. I couldn't see it for a long time, but I kept on running, hoping I'd find it," Trixa repeated.

I glared furiously at Trixa as she smiled back at me. "You mean to say we've been chasing _nothing_ all this time?" I asked, hoping she'd tell me I was wrong so that I wouldn't flip out on her.

"Yep!" Trixa beamed.

"_TRIXA!_" I bellowed furiously.

"Gary!" Trixa cried happily.

"You idiot! What is going on through your head?!"

Trixa's smile faded. "Huh?"

"You led us through all of this even after you lost the freaking Pokemon you were chasing after?"

"I thought I could find it," Trixa replied, her voice displaying her sadness.

"You cannot just go around running through woody areas like this chasing Pokemon!" I screamed. "Who knows where we are now?!"

"I just wanted another Pokemon…" Trixa said, lowering her heard, her voice breaking.

"And how exactly did you intend on battling it, huh?" I asked in a continuously building rage. "Your Pansear and Tepig can't battle. They're still pretty weak from fighting my Drilbur."

"Oh, are you going to rub that in all day?" Trixa shot back at me, glaring. "I get it! You caught Drilbur!"

"I'm just stating a fact! Don't give me that attitude. I _told _you to capture him! You insisted I should catch him!"  
"You earned it! I lost! If you really wanted to be so sincere and generous, you could have leant me one of your Pokemon to weaken it with."

"What's the difference if I leant you my Pokemon or not if it's still _my_ Pokemon weakening it?!"

"_You_ used your Pokemon! If you had said I could use them, then that would have been different! You used them and weakened Drilbur by yourself."

"There's no difference! It's still my Pokemon! What the hell?"

"Now, now, let's all relax," June said, smiling, as she set her bag on the ground. She dug through it and pulled out several Poke Balls. "Come on out, everybody!" She threw her Poke Balls into the air and they opened, sending out her Pokemon in a flash of white light.

"Vwwweeeeee!" Eevee cried out happily.

"Galvantula!" Galvantula said.

"Maaagneton!" Magneton sparked.

Rotom cried out at us all.

"Electiviiiiiire!" Electivire yelled, flexing his muscles.  
"How about we all take a break and relax and have us a nice mealtime?" June suggested, smiling brightly. She pulled out three bowls and three bags of food and set a bowl in front of Electivire, Eevee, and Galvantula. Right after that, she filled the bowls with food and stepped back as her Pokemon went for the bowls, chowing down on the contents.

Magneton and Rotom returned Electric shocks to each other's bodies repeatedly.

"It has been several hours since we last ate," Trixa agreed. "Pansear, Tepig, let's eat!"

"Pansear!" Panser happily screeched as he leaped from Trixa's arms and landed a few feet away.

Trixa threw Tepig's Poke Ball and Tepig came out. "Tepig!" he said upon his arrival.

Trixa set down bowls in front of her two Pokemon from her bag.

I was still angry at Trixa, but I took a deep breath to try and calm down. "Okay! Cottonee! Drilbur! GO!" I said, tossing their Poke Balls.

"Drilbur!" Drilbur exclaimed.

"Coooottoneeee!" Cottonee sang out.

I removed my bag from my back and set it on the ground, and then pulled out three bowls from the bag. "Here you guys go," I said, shaking out food from a single bag.

Pidove flew from my shoulder and happily pecked at his food.

Drilbur and Cottonee moved over to their bowls and started eating.

"Dril?" Drilbur stopped eating and looked down at his bowl, his mouth full of seeds.

"Coooottonee?" Cottonee immediately spit his food back into his bowl.

Drilbur turned to Cottonee and then spit his food out at him.

"Cooooooottonee!" Cottonee cried angrily, his eyes closed tight.

"Hey! Stop that!" I told Drilbur.

Drilbur looked down at his food in disgust.

"I guess they don't like that bird food, Gary," June noted. "When we get to Vancteck City, we should grab some Pokemon food that's a little more versatile."  
"That would have been smarter," I agreed, nodding. "I'm sorry, you two. We'll grab you something a lot better once we reach the next area."

"Dril," Drilbur said in disappointment, rubbing his stomach.

"Drilbur is probably really hungry," June noted. "Remember, he was hunting for berries when you caught him."

"You're right," I said, looking around at the trees surrounding us. "Might some of these trees have some fruit for us, too?"

"I'm sure they do," June said, walking over to one of the nearby trees, looking up into the branches as she stuffed her face with several pieces of chocolate. "There seems to be something up here."

"What was that?" Trixa asked June, nibbling on a cracker.

"I said, I think there's some fruit in here," June replied after swallowing her candy.

"Drilbur!" Drilbur ran to the tree by June and used Slash attack against the trunk.

"_Aaahhhh!_" June shrieked as several apples landed on her head, taking her down to the ground.

Drilbur happily walked over to the pile of apples surrounding June and grabbed one. He took a big bite out of one. "Drilbur!"

"June!" Trixa called out. "Are you okay? Wait! What's that thing?" Trixa pulled out her Pokedex and pointed it at the pile of apples.

"I don't see anything," I said, staring hard at the apples.

_**Panpour. The Spray Pokemon. This Pokemon stores water in its head and is full of nutrients. It must be well taken care of, and the quality of water it holds is a great indicator of its health.**_

"A Panpour?" I gasped, still looking around for it. "Wait a minute! I want one of those monkeys!"

"Hey! No way!" Trixa whined. "You got two Pokemon yesterday! This one belongs to me! No fair!"

I could finally see Panpour, the side of its face just barely visible underneath the apples my Drilbur had knocked out of the tree. It seemed Drilbur must have knocked a Panpour out as well, and it was now a victim of the apple attack, like June was.

"Poke Ball, go!" Trixa yelled.

The Poke Ball hit the unconscious water monkey in the head and absorbed it in the red beam before hitting the floor, the white button glowing red, and it began to shake on the floor.

The Poke Ball continued to shake, a little harder, continuously.

_PING!_

"YES! I caught a Panpour!" Trixa cheered, leaping in the air continuously.

I managed to smile, feeling a little jealous on the inside, though. At least I caught a cool Drilbur, I grudgingly told myself.

June groaned on the ground.

"You alright, June?" I asked nonchalantly.

"I'm fine, I'm fine…" June told us. She crawled out from the pile of apples and remained still on the ground, seeming in a daze, and let out a sigh.

"Ti_vire!_"

I turned at the sharp cry and saw Electivire, eating from his bowl, his body sparking.

Tepig cried out as a thin beam of electricity from Electivire's body reached out towards him, shocking him. Tepig collapsed to the ground and remained still.

Electivire continued to eat calmly from his bowl of food.

"Hey! My Tepig!" Trixa shouted in a panic.

"Pansear! Paaaan!" Pansear angrily ran toward Electivire. "Pansear! Pansear! Pansear! Sear!"

Electivire took another handful of food from his bowl, ignoring Pansear, and shoved his food in his mouth.

"Pansear!" Pansear screamed.

June's other Pokemon had began to back away carefully, fear in their eyes.

Pidove and Cottonee stared at June's other Pokemon and then turned to Electivire, not moving from their bowls, concern in their eyes.

Drilbur continued to happily eat from his pile of apples.

"Pansear! Pansear! Pansear!" Pansear yelled at Electivire.

Electivire's body sparked as he reached for another handful of food. He zapped Pansear weakly with electricity and shoved food into his mouth.

"_Paaaaaaaaaaan!_" Pansear screamed out in pain before collapsing to the ground.

"What is this? I didn't say I wanted to battle!" Trixa ran to her Pokemon, scooping up Tepig and looking down at Pansear. "Why are you attacking my Pokemon?" Trixa cried out to June, staring at her in shock.

"Huh?" June shook her head and managed to her feet. "Wait! This isn't my doing! Please! I'm sorry!" She stumbled over to her Electivire, rubbing her head. "Electivire!" she scolded him. "You apologize to-"

"_VIRE!_" Electivire screamed, and hit June with an Electric attack.

June shrieked loudly, dropping to the ground, her hair standing up tall.

"Oh, my gosh!" Trixa gasped. "June! What happened?"

June shivered on the ground, her body sparking. "N-n-n-nothing n-n-n-n-new," she stammered.

Trixa backed away from Electivire, her eyes wide in shock. "Hey! Why did you attack your trainer?"

Electivire scooped up the last handful of food from his bowl and devoured it. His eyes turned to Trixa as he hungrily chewed on his food.

Trixa gasped, not moving.

At this point, Cottonee and Pidove had backed away from Electivire.

Drilbur was now watching the scene, but still eating from his apples.

June managed to get up to her feet shakily. She stared at Electivire, and her body sparked, causing her to flinch a little bit. She glared at Electivire, Electivire keeping his eyes on Trixa. "That's enough! Return!" June returned Electivire to his Poke Ball.

I breathed a sigh of relief, as did Trixa and the rest of our Pokemon, including Pansear and Tepig, who seemed to have regained their consciousness.

Nobody moved for a while.

"June?" Trixa finally spoke up. "Are you okay?"

June giggled nervously and nodded. "I'm just fine." She placed Electivire's Poke Ball in her large bag and reached up to pull down her hair, but it remained pointed up.

"Why did that thing hurt you?" Trixa asked, a fearful tone in her voice.

"Don't worry about that," June replied, smiling at Trixa as she struggled to keep her hair down. "We're just trying to work out some past issues."  
"Like what?" Trixa asked.

June sighed, maintaining her smile. She hesitated, looking up at the sky. "Well," she finally answered, looking at Trixa. "Listen, honey. On your journey to becoming a Pokemon Master, just remember that winning isn't what makes you a champion. Your bond with your Pokemon, and understanding their true feelings, and never underestimating their fighting abilities and what they already know about you, is what will make you a true master of Pokemon."

Trixa stared at June silently, a blank look on her face.

June stared back, smiling.

"I don't get it," Trixa said after a while.

June stared at Trixa with disappointment.

"Pidove, how about you finish up eating?" I smiled, turning to him.

Pidove hadn't moved from his spot after backing away from Electivire. At my words, he flew back over to his bowl and happily pecked at his food.

Cottonee floated over to his food, but simply stared at it.

Eevee and Galvantula moved back to their bowls and ate quickly, Rotom and Magneton supplying each other with electrical energy, shocking the other in turn.

"Don't worry, Cottonee," I said, staring at him. "Vancteck City is really close by. We should be there in no time."  
Cottonee continued to look down at his food sadly.

"I'm really sorry. Return for now." I returned him to his Poke Ball and turned to June and Trixa. "Once everyone's done eating, let's keep on moving."

Trixa and June nodded happily.

Tepig leaped from Trixa's arms and towards his bowl of food, digging into it happily with his snout.

Pansear slowly walked over to his bowl and ate from it slowly, gradually picking up his pace.

I walked away from the Pokemon and looked up into the sky as best as I could, trying to see past the tree branches and leaves blocking the gray sky. A slight breeze swirled around me as I heard footsteps make their way through the leaves on the ground, crunching down on them, heading towards me.

A sigh greeted me a few feet away. "Pretty decent weather, huh?"

I didn't face June. "For November, it's not bad, I guess." I shivered just slightly in the cold air around me.

We didn't say another word for some time as we stood near each other.

At some point, I turned around to the sound of a loud belch and realized that the bowls our Pokemon were eating from were empty, most of our Pokemon sprawled out lazily on the ground with satisfied smiles on their faces.

Magneton and Rotom seemed to have stopped shocking one another, calmly hovering in the air.

Trixa was on her back on the ground, grabbing up leaves in her hands and dropping them in bunches on top of herself.

"Looks like they've had their fill," June giggled.

"Good," I said. "We should get going. It's not fair that Cottonee hasn't gotten anything to eat. And it's getting dark."

June and I returned our Pokemon to their Poke Balls, and soon after, Trixa got to her feet and returned Tepig and Pansear to their Poke Balls.

"I guess we're going?" Trixa smiled.

I nodded silently. "Yeah. Cottonee needs to get to the Pokemon Center. He hasn't had any food. In fact, all of our Pokemon could use a checkup. Let's go."

The three of us walked together through the woods, the trees seeming to close in around us the deeper we walked. Our unseen path lasted what seemed a couple of hours before June finally said what was also on my mind: "Are you sure we're on the right path?"

"Of course we are," I muttered, taking a shaky breath, and pulled out the Town Map. I squinted hard against it in the darkness, but in the evening, still darkening sky, the trees making seem even darker, it was impossible to see clearly. "We're not far." I put the Town Map back in my pocket.

"How could you even tell?" June asked."It's dark as night out here!"

"Listen, we're fine!" I said, getting angry. I was afraid on the inside, and I knew it, but I couldn't let June or Trixa know that. "We're almost there."

"We could use my Tepig to light up the Town Map so we could see it clearly," Trixa offered.

"He might end up burning the damn thing," I countered. "Trust me, will you? We're almost out of here."

"What is it with men never wanting to ask for directions?" June said under her breath.

"Exactly who are we asking for directions from in the middle of a freaking forest?" I snapped. "Don't say stupid things. I said we're on our way out, and we are! I used the Town Map. I'm not just leading us around blindly."

"We'll see," June said uncertainly.

I ignored her and we continued following each other. It didn't feel like either of us was leading the way. We just were moving through the trees, branches scratching at our arms every minute, Trixa and June crying out in pain, the three of us stumbling over things we could barely see on the ground, cries from creatures unknown making us jump in surprise or fright every few minutes or so.

It was, at the very least, another three hours of walking before my heart was suddenly kicking down the door of my chest in fear as I began to feel certain that we were lost. I couldn't even see Trixa and June, and they were right next to me! "Okay, I admit it, I don't know where we are anymore," I admitted.

"Oh, you don't say!" June said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry. It's just hard to see anything!" I said in a panic.

"It was hard to see anything _hours_ ago!" June shouted angrily. "I'm sending out Galvantula to light the way!"

"Don't send out that damn Bug!" I screamed. "It's scary enough in this forest!"

"Screw you and your damn phobia!" June yelled back.

"June, don't!" I begged.

"Galvantula, I choose-!" June yelled.

"Hey, what's that?" Trixa asked.

I didn't look away, keeping my eyes on where June was, though I couldn't see anything.

June gasped. "What's that light?" she asked.

At her question, I turned around, too. Squinting my eyes, I could see a distance glow through the trees. "Let's find out!" I was desperate to do anything that wouldn't require June to send out her gross Bug Pokemon.

We all moved through the trees towards the light at once. It was only a few minutes later until the trees around us got a whole lot dense and spread further apart from us, and a short hill displayed series of lights below.

I could finally see the sky above, a deep purple, not a star in sight.

"Is that a city?" Trixa cried out happily.

"It must be Vancteck City!" I cheered loudly.

"Are you sure?" June asked excitedly.

"Come on!" I ran away from them both, towards the lights, pumping my legs down the little hill and making a mad dash on the open path towards the buildings I was beginning to see before us.

"_It's a city!_" Trixa shrieked, and she suddenly appeared right next to me, racing me to the buildings.

I laughed as I picked up my pace and bolted past her. "_AAAAAAAHHHHHH!_" I screamed in pain as I ran directly into something that leaped in front of me.

It was some kind of a square object.

I closed my eyes and fell back to the ground as my entire body radiated in pain and my head throbbed. "What the f-?"

"Welcome to Vancteck City," a metallic voice rang out loudly.

"A robot?" I heard June question.

I opened my eyes and saw several large, transparent gray boxes in front of me, multiplying into more transparent gray boxes. The one box in the middle of the row of boxes was the only one I couldn't see through. The several other boxes then combined into with the one, solid box I couldn't see through, splitting again into more, transparent boxes again, and then turning back into a single box I couldn't see through. I closed my eyes and shook my head, crying out as it throbbed in even more pain. Grabbing my head, I looked up again. "What?"

"Hello, visitors," a voice came out from a single gray box in front of me. I couldn't see through it. It towered tall over us, several buttons down most of its body. The topmost part of it contained three circles, one which flashed red on the far left, the middle flashing green, and the right flashing white. They flashed at seemingly random points in time. This machine was hovering just a few inches above the ground, silently. "What is your purpose for visiting Vancteck City, the most historically technologically sound place open to the public?" the machine asked us.

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

The lights on the machine's square, gray body flashed repeatedly. "What is your purpose for visiting Vancteck City, the most historically technologically sound place open to the public?" the machine repeated.

"We're here to find the Gym Leader and battle for a badge," June called out to the machine.

The machine's lights flashed for a few seconds. "Prof. Russell is unable to battle at this time. You are all welcome to battle him in the afternoon. In the meantime, on behalf of Vancteck City, we invite you to stay at our world renowned, Vancteck Mansion, as our guests, since you are challenging the Gym Leader here. Right this way, please."

The machine turned its back on us, its back containing several horizontal, black lines, and white dots appearing and disappearing all over its back repeatedly.

"WHOA!" I screamed as the ground I was still sitting on began to suddenly move!

June and Trixa screamed with me in shock.

I looked down and realized that we were on some kind of conveyer belt that looked exactly like the ground surrounding it!

The robot led the way as it took us into Vancteck City.

"What is this?" Trixa asked in awe.

We gazed around , stunned in amazement.

I immediately noticed that it didn't look like there were many buildings in Vancteck City. In fact, it looked like there were only _two _buildings in Vancteck City! On either side of the four of us, there sat one, glimmering building, seeming to be made of some kind of chrome material. Each building reached high up, beyond my sight, disappearing into the night sky. The buildings seemed to be as wide as they were tall, stretching far out of my range of sight, seemingly having no end! It was just countless chrome material stretching out before us, windows all over, lights shining from each one, illuminating the city brighter than anything I'd ever seen in Kanto. Every several feet, there was a door, but they all sat in front of the same, long building!

A man and woman, the man's arms wrapped around the lady lovingly, stepped out of one of the building doors and they walked together, smiling, not on the conveyer belt, free to roam as they pleased.

The lady's face seemed a little red. She seemed to be blushing as she smiled.

The conveyer belt that June, Trixa, and I were on, stopped, the robot pausing in front of us. The three of us gasped in surprise.

To the right of us, we saw an enormous, pink _**P **_in the middle of a differently colored section of the chrome building. The lower section of the building was colored a more pink shade of chrome, while the higher portions of the building were the regular metallic chrome color. A door sat at the bottom of the building, larger than the other doors in the area. Right next to this section of the building was another, differently colored building with a chrome gleam to it. The color of this building was white and the color stretched high into the sky. It had its own chrome, black door at the bottom with a pitch black window at the top of it.

"Welcome to Vancteck Mansion," the machine spoke to us. "Please, enjoy your night here."

A bright light immediately blinded us, and Trixa, June, and I screamed in surprise. The light faded, and we saw that we were no longer outside! We now sat in a large, brown room. The floor was covered in a soft, brown carpet that we were sitting on. The room contained two enormous, polished, brown, wooden tables, a deck of cards on each one. Each table was surrounded by several comfortable looking chairs. Two large, white sofas sat in front of a flat screen TV that took up the entire, long wall. A black remote sat on a small wooden table that sat in front of the one of sofas. Next to this cozy setting was the kitchen, a door leading to it, partly open, revealing only a sparkling, silver sink. Six other wooden doors lined the walls. Three large windows showed the entire city clearly.

None of us spoke as we looked around in shock.

Is this real? I wondered.

"Is this where we're staying…?" June whispered, breaking the silence.

I cleared my throat. "For free?"

A couple of knocks at the door made us all gasp and leap to our feet.

"Might I come in?" a voice called from the other side of the door.

The three of us faced each other, but didn't answer.

A few more knocks came from the door. "Hello?" the voice called.

We looked to each other silently, and then turned back to the door.

"Wh-wh-who is it?" I stammered weakly.

"My name is Dyue," the voice spoke gently. "I am your servant for your stay here at Vancteck City. Might I come in?"

The three of us turned to each other, stunned looks on our faces.

"Did he say servant?" June whispered.

"He did!" Trixa whispered back, an eager look on her face. "Come on in!"

We all turned as the door opened.

A tall man, his skin seeming to gleam with cleanliness, stepped into our room and bowed. He wore a black suit with a black bowtie. "Hello, sir, madam, madam. Welcome to Vancteck Mansion. I am Dyue, your servant. I have been made aware that you have a battle with Prof. Russell tomorrow at three p.m. sharp. What time would you like to be woken?"  
The three of us stared at Dyue silently, surprise on our faces.

My heart beat quickly. I was unable to speak.

He stared at us patiently, smiling.

"What do you mean?" I finally managed to speak.

"You'll need to awaken on time for your match tomorrow," Dyue explained. "I shall happily ensure you arrive there on time. What time would you feel most comfortable awaking? Or would you like to postpone the match?"

"Um…" I turned to Trixa and June.

They turned to me and shrugged.

"Wait," I said, turning back to Dyue. "We can't afford to stay in a place like this! There has to be some mistake, sir!"

"You are challenging Prof. Russell, correct?" Dyue smiled wider.

"That's the Gym Leader, right?" I asked.

"Yes. The Steel type Gym Leader of Vancteck City," Dyue informed us.

"Yes, me and Trixa are," I said, pointing at Trixa. "And, um, June is accompanying us."

"That's quite fine," Dyue acknowledged, nodding. "Your stay here is free while you attempt your mission of defeating the Gym Leader. Should you defeat Prof. Russell, or decide to give up, or are seen as not attempting your best while battling, you will have to leave."

"Wait. What do you mean by that last part of not attempting our best?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, some challengers will lose on purpose in an attempt to stay at Vancteck Mansion," Dyue explained, his smile fading. "We can't allow advantage takers like that here. So, we must see a sincere attempt to win."

"Oh. I see," I nodded.

Dyue's warm smile returned. "Vancteck Mansion also doubles as a Pokemon Center, located in the lobby, where all of your Pokemon currently are."

"What?" I gasped, looking down to my belt. "Hey!"

"Hey! Where are my Pokemon?" Trixa cried.

"My Pokemon are gone!" June shouted, digging through her large bag.

"When you were transferred here, your Pokemon were reported as injured or otherwise in need of rest and food, so they were left with Nurse Joy," Duye bowed.

The three of us looked at him in shock.

"But, how?" I asked weakly.

"This is indeed the most technologically advanced place open to the public, on the face of the planet, at this time," Duye said in a gentle voice. "We have everything taken care of."

I couldn't believe my ears. This was unheard of!

"We have a plethora of activities at Vancteck Mansion for you all to partake in," Duye informed us. "Enjoy the all you can eat buffet, the pool table, the swimming lounge, sauna, video game lounge, diner where we will be serving our world class, five star dinner, perfumery, workout gym, and a special training room for Pokemon Trainers. You can also explore Vancteck City to see what this city of ours has to offer, including five star restaurants, massage therapy, shopping malls, and much, much more."

"_BUFFET!_" Trixa screamed, running up to Duye, leaping in the air repeatedly. "Wake me up at twelve! I don't care! _Just take me to the buffet!_"

"MALL! MALL! MALL!" June screamed, and joined Trixa, jumping in front of Duye.

I looked around the room. This is unbelievable, I thought to myself. No way is this real. This is just way too good to be true. This city is a dream come true! I turned back to Dyue and walked up next to June and Trixa. "Twelve sounds fine for me, too. I'll just join these two or explore the city on my own."

"Which of you would like to battle first?" Dyue asked.

"Let him go! I don't care! _BUFFET! BUFFET! BUFFET!_" Trixa insisted.

Dyue laughed. "Right away, madam. Please, follow me."

"_Yaay!_" Trixa squealed, and June and Trixa followed as Dyue led the way down a hallway that glimmered with golden, carpeted floors and a golden ceiling and walls.

I looked back at our room before closing the door and followed them towards a creamy white elevator door at the end of the hallway.

"This place is unbelievable," I said in awe as we stopped in front of the elevator, a single red button on the wall.

Dyue turned his head to me and his teeth gleamed in a bright smile. "This entire city is the desire of Prof. Russell himself. I, the city, and Prof. Russell himself, personally hope that you enjoy your stay." Dyue turned back around and pressed the button for the elevator.

We all stared at the door patiently as a gentle chine rang out every second, the elevator nearing us.

Finally, the door opened with one more chime.

Dyue took a step into the presumably empty elevator, and then stopped, took a large step back, and bowed. "Oh, excuse me, please, ma'am," Dyue said.

"That's okay," a friendly voice said from inside of the elevator, and a girl stepped out.

My eyes widened as I stared at the girl. Hm, she's kind of pretty, I thought to myself. But, wait… I gasped. "Hey!" I shouted, my heart instantly jumping into my throat as I stared at her in complete shock.

"Whoa!" June exclaimed, taking a couple of steps back, staring at the girl.

The girl squinted from behind her pink, thick-framed glasses at me, her eyes widening, and then further enlarging, her mouth dropping open as she turned to June. She looked at Trixa and squinted for a moment, but then looked back at me, frowning.

I squinted at her in disbelief, staring at her blonde hair before returning my gaze to her eyes sitting behind her glasses. No way, I said to myself, my mouth just slightly open. What is _she_ doing here?


	13. Colder Than Steel

Courtney squinted at me in disbelief from behind her pink, thick-framed glasses. "G-Gary?!" she gasped.

I closed my eyes and shook my head hard before staring at her again, wide eyed. Her hair is blonde, now, I thought. And she has glasses?

Courtney looked cuter than ever in glasses, somehow. She was wearing a bright yellow jacket, zipped up, a thin hood at her back, and a long, baby blue skirt that ended at her ankles, her feet in a pair of matching blue shoes. She looked me up and down a couple of times, her eyes blinking repeatedly.

None of us spoke a word.

Courtney and I had our eyes glued to each other.

My heart was beating painfully out of some level of fear of seeing Courtney again after all this time.

Courtney turned to June and looked her over, a sneer coming over her face, and then she glanced at Trixa, cocking her head in confusion for a second before she looked back to me and straightened up, a serious look on her face. "What do you think you're doing here?" she snapped.

"Me? _ME?!_ What am _I_ doing here?" I exclaimed in shock. "What do you mean?"  
"I have no idea how to make that any clearer to you." Courtney crossed her arms and frowned.

"No! What are _you_ doing here?" I shot back. "In _Unova!_ _Why?_"

"I'm here to compete in the Unova League," Courtney said snottily. "Now, answer my question."

"I'm here to compete in the Unova League, too!" I said in shock.

Her eyes squinted at me and soon furrowed in anger. "I can't believe this! This is so unbelievable! You can't be here! You just _can't!_"

"It's been so long…" I said in a low voice, staring at her, confused by all of this. "I can't believe you're here, in Unova of all places."

The anger in her face faded very slightly as a more serious look took over. "I heard about you."

I stared at her in confusion, but didn't say anything.

"At the Pokemon League in Kanto two years ago," Courtney continued. "I read about it, and I saw your pic-"

"Please," I interrupted, raising my hand. "I don't want to talk about that."

"But," Courtney said, a hint of desperation in her voice, "they say you ran into those terrorists before! They said you saw them in Cloud City! They mentioned something about S-"

"Shut up!" I shouted at her angrily, causing her to gasp in surprise. "I said I don't want to talk about it!"

Courtney lowered her eyes to the ground sadly. "Sorry." She looked up at me. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Thanks," I nodded solemnly. "You're okay, too."

"Well, I left after my loss at the league, and went back to Hoenn to be with my family. Things were really bad during that time. Even though those terrorists had been stopped, the world was completely shaken up by it, so I stayed home to be with my mom and dad. When things started to get bad at home with my parents, I had decided to run away. Far, far away from the arguing and stress. That's why I left to be a Pokemon Trainer in the first place; my parents and their constant fighting. So, I fly all the way out here to Unova, to put the past behind me and move forward in my life, only to find one of my previous headaches." A disgusted look came over her face as she spoke, and she turned to June. "And not only are you accompanied by the red head…" Her face fixed itself into a smirk as she turned to Trixa. "…but you also have a new girlfriend?"

Trixa smiled at Courtney. "Hi! I'm Trixa. Who are you?"

"She isn't my girlfriend! NEITHER OF THEM ARE!" I screamed.

Trixa turned to me and smiled heart meltingly.

"She has a look of adoration on her face. No question about it," Courtney said lovingly at Trixa. "I'm Courtney. It's nice to meet you."

Trixa didn't take her eyes off of me.

"_What?_" I yelled at Trixa. "Stop looking at me like that!"

Trixa scowled and looked at the ground, grumbling.

Courtney sighed and rolled her eyes. "Still an ass, as always, I see. Not much has changed."

I glared at Courtney.

"What are you doing here, though?" June spoke up, brushing aside her hair with her hands, a suspicious look on her face. "In Vancteck Mansion, I mean?"

"I was on my way out," Courtney said, not taking her eyes off of me. "I have my badge from here. I'm ready to leave."

"How many badges do you have?" I asked.

Courtney snickered. "You guys are in my way. Excuse me, please."

Dyue politely bowed. "We hope you enjoyed your stay at Vancteck Mansion. We'd be humbled to serve you again."

Trixa moved over, out of Courtney's way.

June and I kept our position, glaring at Courtney.

She stared at me before turning to June, and then walked past her, bumping her shoulder hard into June's.

"Hey!" June cried out angrily as she took a step backwards and turned to glare at Courtney.

Courtney didn't stop, walking away from us smoothly, slowly, swaying her hips.

June growled and balled up her fists.

"Bye, Courtney!" Trixa waved happily.

Courtney looked back and smiled, gave us a wave, and turned back, continuing down a long hallway, making a turn as the hallway curved to the right.

"So, she's in Unova, now," I muttered. "What are the odds?"

"I think we should go to Hoenn. Or Kalos. Or even back to Kanto. Or something! I don't like Unova anymore," June said, complaining like a little kid, her arms crossed, pouting her lip, not looking at me as we rode the elevator down, our new servant, Maley, accompanying us, Trixa poking the walls of the elevator which were lined with a red, plush fabric.

Ever since last night, while Trixa had ran off to enjoy the buffet, June had changed her mind and decided to follow me all night, complaining about the Unova Region and how desperate she was to leave it all of a sudden.

I had found my way into an arcade with all kinds of games, all for my free use since I was a Pokemon Trainer about to challenge the Gym Leader here, but I couldn't concentrate with June in my ear, venting. Telling her that we weren't leaving wasn't shutting her up, so I tried ignoring her, at one point, even running away from her.

June refused to lose me, following me every which way I went, no matter how deep into Vancteck City I ran, nor how fast.

Eventually, I gave up and walked back to our room, exhausted.

June seemed to have a limitless level of energy as she talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, about the exact same things, literally repeating herself several times, speaking disgustedly of Courtney, her newfound hate for Unova, and how we should try to go to another region instead.

I'm certain I fell asleep to her jabbering, and when Maley entered our room to wake us up for our gym battle today, June was already sitting up in her bed in our room, talking to Trixa, who was on her own bed, her head hanging to the ground, her legs in the air, spinning and kicking rapidly. Even when she was in the shower, I could hear her yelling her complaints to me. Even when _I_ was in the shower, she yelled from outside of the door about this and that.

We were in the lobby now, Maley leading the way, walking on the clear, marble floor that sparkled like a million diamonds, making our walk seem surreal.

A man sat behind a large desk seemingly made of glimmering gold, a wall with several, pure white shelves behind him, though nothing sat on them. He wore a brown suit and smiled at us, his bushy mustache covering his entire top lip. "Good luck to you both during your battle against Prof. Russell," he nodded.

"Thank you very much!" I smiled back.

"I can't wait!" Trixa cheered.

June just grumbled angrily.

We were led outside into a chilly wind that blew against us.

I was poorly dressed, wearing a thin, black, button up shirt.

Trixa and June at least were wearing jackets, Trixa also wearing a white beanie hat.

Maley made a left, leading us over to the chrome, white colored section of the building with the chrome black door with the small, black window near the top of it.

I couldn't see anything through the window.

Maley turned to us and bowed. "I wish you all good luck." Maley's body glowed white and, in the next instant, vanished!

"Whoa!" we all exclaimed at once.

Before we could finish our surprised reaction, the black door swung open wide, slamming hard against the building with a loud _CLAAAAAANNNNNNNNGGGGGG!_

I covered my ears in shock, along with June and Trixa, who both cried out loud. Once the ringing ended, we all lowered our hands and stared into the darkness of the gym before us.

"I can't see anything," June said softly. "It's too dark."

"Is he here?" Trixa asked curiously.

"He has to be," I said. Taking a deep breath, I stepped towards the gym cautiously, one step at a time, pausing for a brief couple of seconds after each step. My breath was snatched away from me, and everything around me went black. Before I could even begin to panic, my breath returned to me and I could see again. "Wait a minute!" I gasped as I looked around my new surroundings.

June, Trixa and I seemed to be inside of some sort of a transparent bubble! A large, white machine sat in front of us, a black screen on the right of it, and a microphone beneath the screen, a small, blue button right next to the microphone. A small, plastic stick sat in a groove in the machine. Outside of the bubble we were in, on the ground several feet below us, sat a large, gray rectangle, a circular pattern one on end, and the same pattern on the opposite side. The circular patterns held a series of two sided, white arrows within them, following the pattern of the circle they were in.

"Where are we?" June whispered, looking around.

I wasn't able to reply with my heart blocking the air from escaping my throat.

Far away, on the other side of the room we were all in, was a transparent bubble resembling the one the three of us were in. I could just barely make out a human shape in that bubble, standing still.

My heart thumped powerfully, fear and panic flowing throughout my veins.

"Who's that?" Trixa asked me, a wide smile showing no signs of concern for our strange situation.

"Whoever it is is too far away to even see him or her clearly," I told my group.

Suddenly, the figure in the bubble moved slightly.

An electronic crackle rang throughout the bubble we were, combined with a little bit of static noise before we heard a voice greet us clearly. "Hello, my friends and current challengers! I am Prof. Russell! How are you?"

The three of us stared ahead in shock.

"Prof. Russell?" June repeated.

"Is that him?" Trixa squinted at the strange person so far from us.

"It must be!" I said.

"Please, come closer to the mic, and hold the blue button to respond!" Prof. Russell's light, eager voice came out inside of the bubble again.

"Oh!" I moved towards the microphone on shaky legs and reached out to the blue button. Holding it down, I cleared my throat. "Hello?"

The man in the bubble seemed to move again, but I couldn't hear anything from him.

"Gary, you have to let go of the button," June said with a smile, gently pulling my wrist away.

Trixa laughed at this.

"Oh," was all I could manage to say.

"Hello!" Prof. Russell's voice said. "Welcome to my gym! I'm Prof. Russell. Greetings to you, June. Trixa and Gary, you both shall be battling for the Iron Badge, correct?"

Shocked at his words, Trixa and June crying out in shock near me, I held the blue button again. "You know our names?" I released the button.

Prof. Russell laughed lightly. "I received all of the data needed when you arrived in my city. I must say, it's good to see you in such good shape, Gary. June, as well. It's good to see that the attack during the Kanto League hasn't deterred you from returning to the life of a Pokemon Trainer."

"Hey!" June cried.

"How do you know that?" I yelled angrily, slamming my palm down on the blue button.

"As I said, I received all of the information needed when you arrived at Vancteck City," Prof. Russell told us again.

I didn't know how to respond to that, glaring ahead at the silhouette of Mr. Russell.

"This is getting scary, now," June whispered.

"Where are my Poke Balls?" Trixa cried in a panic.

"Huh?" I turned to Trixa, who was digging through her pockets, her Poke Balls no longer on her belt.

June dropped to her knees and dug through her bag. "One, two, three, four, and five," June counted, grabbing her Poke Balls from her bag, and then she turned to Trixa before glancing at me.

"_My Pokemon!_" I shrieked as I looked at my belt where my three Poke Balls should have been, but weren't. I dug through the pockets of my jeans, but I only bumped into my Pokedex. My bag and jacket were back at the Vancteck Mansion.

"Where did our Poke Balls go?" I asked Trixa frantically.

Trixa turned to Prof. Russell in the bubble.

The machine in front of us grabbed our attention as the black screen turned on, displaying something.

Trixa and I moved immediately towards the machine and looked at it.

The black screen now showed a spinning, chrome, red and white Poke Ball.

"This gym will be holding a Rotation Battle," Prof. Russell explained. "Three-on-three."

Trixa gasped. "No way!"

"What kind of battle did he just say?" I asked her, not feeling too comfortable with the look of horror on her face.

"A Rotation Battle!" Trixa repeated. "I've only ever heard of these as a rumor. They never happen. Ever! I've always assumed they were just a myth."

"Is this okay with everyone?" Prof. Russell asked.

"Um, I've never heard of this kind of match, Prof. Russell," I said, holding down the blue button. "Can you explain it?"

"Oh, quite so," Prof. Russell responded. "It's quite simple. Three of your Pokemon will be on the field battling, and you can rotate between each Pokemon whenever you would like to. This is done with rapid speed as opposed to retreating a Pokemon, and can be used tactically! Only the main Pokemon in the forefront will be hit by attacks and can attack, until it is rotated out and replaced with another Pokemon who assumes that role. Once all three of one team's Pokemon are defeated, the round ends. Of course, this is better demonstrated through example!"

I faced Trixa, who had a surprisingly nervous look on her face.

"I was informed that Gary would be battling first. Is this still true?" Prof. Russell asked.

"No! No! I wanna go first!" Trixa begged with determination, pressing the button.

"But, where are our Poke Balls?" I called to him.

"They are all in the Assets Hold," Prof. Russell explained. "Don't worry. After the battle is over, they shall be returned to you all. To use them in this battle, just pay attention to the screen. Trixa, you are welcome to go first if that's what's agreed upon."

"Great!" Trixa exclaimed.

"Very well, then," Prof. Russell responded. "The current screen applies to Trixa, and Trixa only, though you're welcome to watch and learn, Gary."  
I took a step back as Trixa stared at the machine.

The Poke Ball disappeared and was replaced with three circles, one showing the face of a Tepig, the next one showing the face of a Pansear, and the final one showing her Panpour.

"Choose your three Pokemon in the order you like, the first one being who will come out first," Prof. Russell explained.

Trixa picked up the black stylus and stared at the screen. "Well, he's a Steel gym, so, obviously, we shall sweep with Tepig!" She tapped Tepig, and his face turned into a silhouette. "And then, Pansear and Panpour, I suppose." Trixa touched their faces, too, turning them into silhouettes as well. She laughed a little.

"Trixa, you need to be more careful than to just go by types," June warned.

"I won my first badge with a type advantage, and my second badge with a type disadvantage," Trixa smiled at June. "I think I can do this."

"Just be careful," June said gently. "And, this is a Rotation Battle. This won't be like anything you've done before."

"Don't sweat the small stuff," Trixa winked.

A motion on the battlefield below grabbed our attention. Three Poke Balls hit the ground on the side closest to Prof. Russell and opened, sending out three Pokemon, all of them standing on the circular platform, one in front, the other two standing towards the back.

"What are those?" I wondered out loud as I pointed my Pokedex at them.

_**Ferroseed. The Thorn Seed Pokemon. Ferroseed shoots spikes at threats and then rolls away to safety. This Pokemon lives off of minerals from rocks.**_

_**Pawniard. The Sharp Blade Pokemon. In the wild, they are governed by their evolved form, Bisharp. When they attack their prey, the leader is the one to deliver the final, fatal blow.**_

_**Klang. The Gear Pokemon. Klink's evolved form. By spinning their gears in different directions, they can communicate with one another. When its minigears spin at a fast speed, such as for attacks like Gear Grind and Shift Gear, the gears usually return back to the Pokemon. If they do not, the results are deadly for Klang.**_

Three Poke Balls flew out and landed on the opposite side of the field, closer to me, June and Trixa.

"Tepig!" Tepig cried out as he stood in the lead position.

"Pansear!" Pansear screamed as he landed.

"Panpour!" Panpour exclaimed, looking around.

A digital timer appeared on the screen, reading: **5:00**. A pair of two sided arrows circled each other on the bottom left hand side of the screen, and a second pair of two sided arrows circled each other in the opposite direction, sitting on the bottom right hand side of the screen.

"Touch the arrows on the lower half of the screen whenever you want to rotate," Prof. Russell told Trixa. "This battle will feature a five minute long limit. Order your attacks through the microphone. You'll no longer need to hold the blue button down to speak while the battle takes place. Now, this match begins!"

"What?!" Trixa gasped, staring at the microphone in a panic.

"Your move first, please," Prof. Russell said, his voice now echoing through the entire room we were in.

"Um! Oh, my, okay, okay, relax, Trixa," Trixa told herself. "Let's make-_AHH!_" She laughed at her scream after hearing her voice echo throughout the room now. "Okay, let's make this quick! Use your Flame Charge!"

"Tepig! Tepig! Tepiiiiig!" Tepig ran at Ferroseed, covered in flames.

"Protect!" Prof. Russell shouted.

A turquoise energy shield appeared in front of Ferroseed, and Tepig slammed into it, bouncing back hard.

"Thunder Wave!" Prof. Russell said.

Ferroseed's body was outlined in blue electricity, and with a cry, it zapped Tepig.

Tepig cried out in pain and dropped to the ground, twitching from Paralysis, unable to move.

"Curse attack!" Prof. Russell ordered.

"Flame Charge! Fight, Tepig! Come on!" Trixa cried.

Tepig continued twitching, stuck to the ground, as Ferroseed's body turned a dark flush of purple for a few seconds, and then glowed with a healthy, deep sea blue.

"Again!" Prof. Russell called out.

"Tepig, come on! I know you can do this!" Trixa continued to urge on her Pokemon.

Tepig was still stuck while Ferroseed used Curse attack once again.

What is that? I wondered.

_**Curse. While lowering its Speed, the user also raises its Attack and Defense Stat.**_

"TEPIIIIIIIG!" Tepig finally leaped from the ground and flew fast towards Ferroseed.

"Meet it with Metal Claw!" Prof. Russell shouted.

Ferroseed's spikes on its body flashed with the gleam of metal and it leaped into the air, headed right for Tepig. Both Pokemon collided and were forced back through the air.

Tepig landed strongly, confidently, shaking his head.

Ferroseed had a hard landing but steadily got back up, his body flashing with a blue color momentarily.

"Once more! Flame Charge! End this!"

Tepig ran, faster than before, consumed in flames, headed for Ferroseed.

Ferroseed's circular platform suddenly turned on its own, Ferroseed moving with the platform as it moved towards the back, where Klang and Pawniard stood, Klang moving to where Pawniard was, Pawniard taking Ferroseed's position, and Ferroseed moving into Klang's space!

Pawniard now stood as the central Pokemon and took the Flame Charge hit.

Trixa gasped. "Hey! NO! We were about to beat Ferroseed!" Trixa complained, growling.

Pawniard was tossed back, but slid gracefully, bending down onto one knee before getting back up.

Tepig growled at Pawniard.

"Dig!" Prof. Russell demanded.

"Flame Charge it!"

Tepig ran rapidly at Pawniard, knocking it down.

Pawniard got up shakily, and in the next instant, tore through the ground and dug a hole.

Tepig looked around in confusion.

"Oh, no! Where did it go?" Trixa said with fear.

"Pawniaaaaard!" Pawniard burst from underneath Tepig and the pig was forced high into the air.

Tepig landed on his back, groaning, sounding very weakened by that hit he took.

"Now use Torment!" Prof. Russell told Pawniard.

"Pawniard! Pawniard! Pawniard! Pawwwwwwniard! Pawniard! Pawniard! _Pawniard! Pawniard!_" Pawniard stomped on the ground repeatedly, making a loud fuss, getting very angry.

"Flame Charge! We can win this battle, Tepig!" Trixa screamed into the microphone, her voice echoing strongly throughout the entire room.

Tepig struggled to move, but didn't. Instead, he stood still, growling at Pawniard.

"Tepig! You have to use Flame Charge!" Trixa begged her Pokemon.

"Torment is a move that prevents you from using the same move two times in a row," Prof. Russell's voice laughed.

"Is that what it did?" Trixa frowned, crossing her arms.

Pawniard's circular platform started to move again, replacing it with Ferroseed.

"Rollout!" Prof. Russell commanded.

Ferroseed rolled at Tepig.

"Oh, no! Wait! Okay, Tepig!" Trixa began to panic. "We can't use Flame Charge, so let's-"

It was too late.

Ferroseed slammed into Tepig with the Super Effective move.

Tepig bounced painfully across the floor, sliding to a stop.

A loud _**BUUUUZZZ!**_ rang out throughout the room, and Tepig's silhouette on the machine turned into a black and white picture of him, a red **X **covering it.

Tepig started to glow red, and it appeared that he was returned to his Poke Ball, although nobody had returned him!

"My Tepig! Where did he go?" Trixa screamed.

"Don't worry, Trixa," Prof. Russell responded. "You will get back all of your Pokemon once this battle is over."

The platform rotated to the right, and Pansear was now the main Pokemon to focus on.

"Pansear!" Pansear exclaimed, looking at Ferroseed.

"Pansear, let's go! Flame Burst!"

"Get it, Ferroseed!" Prof. Russell urged his Pokemon as it rolled at Pansear.

Pansear sent a flaming ball into the air, which exploded, showering the field in flames.

Ferroseed leaped into the air and screamed out in pain as a fireball hit it.

Pansear screamed out as Ferroseed slammed into him, knocking him down.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The three of us looked down at the machine. It was blinking: **0:00**.

With a gasp, we all looked to the battlefield to see that Ferroseed was laying on top of Pansear, both Pokemon exhausted and defeated. They both glowed red and vanished, like Tepig, as if they had been retreated by their trainers.

Pawniard, Klang, and Panpour also vanished afterwards in a red flash.

The beeping from the machine stopped, and Panpour and Pansear were both now black and white with a red **X** over their faces.

"What happened?" Trixa asked slowly.

A noise behind us made us all turn around.

"Poke Balls?" Trixa said, and walked over to the three items on the floor. "Are they mine?" She threw them to the ground, sending out her Pokemon.

"Panpour…" Panpour looked up at Trixa, cocking its head to the side.

Pansear and Tepig were both laid out on the floor, looking in terrible shape.

"My Pokemon!" Trixa ran to them and pulled them all into a big hug, a distressed look on her face.

"Time is up." Prof. Russell's voice came out in our bubble this time instead of echoing loudly throughout the entire room. "I'm afraid there didn't seem to be any way you would win, and I had defeated more Pokemon than you did, so, I fairly determine that you have lost."

"Wait a minute!" Trixa yelled angrily, releasing her Pokemon from her arms and stomping over to the microphone.

The machine's screen now red: **YOU LOSE! **in bold, red letters.

Trixa slammed her palm down on the button. "Now you listen to me, Mister Professor! I have won matches with and without a type advantage! I could have won! You can't judge me like that! That's not fair! Give me a chance! Knock out all of my Pokemon! Don't put me on a stupid time limit! It's not fair!"

"I personally find that when a trainer can truly appreciate that they are on limited time, they battle much more differently than in a battle without a timer," Prof. Russell told us. "I enjoy timed battles, and Rotation Battles, because they are not the norm, and force you to think outside of the box. It's truly the most advanced form of battling, if I do say so myself." He chuckled.

"I battle against a gym I had a type advantage over and I win!" Trixa stomped angrily. "I battle a gym I had a type disadvantage in, and I win! I battle _you_, who I had a type advantage over, and I _lose?_ This is crap! I've never been so disrespected in my life!"

"I mean no disrespect," Prof. Russell said, his voice getting lower, sorrow in his voice. "This is the way I battle."

"I told you this, Trixa," June added. "I told you that you can't just run into gyms like that. Gym Leaders are really good and they know what they're doing."

"But, a timed match isn't fair! _And_ a Rotation Battle at that!" Trixa cried to June.

"A Gym Leader's job is to test you," June explained. "You're supposed to go through a lot of different experiences and take those experiences with you to grow as a trainer, with your Pokemon."

"_CHEATERRRRRRR!_" Trixa shrieked into the microphone, and then stomped off to the side. She returned her Pokemon and then grumbled, staring at the floor.

"I guess it's my turn," I said into the microphone.

"Ah, right then, ha ha," Prof. Russell chuckled. "Well, the same rules apply for you, too, Gary. Please select your Pokemon."

I picked up the black stylus and stared at the screen where a picture of Pidove, Cottonee, and Drilbur sat. For starters, I'll go with Cottonee, I suppose, I thought. And then the other two will be in the back.

The three Pokemon turned to silhouettes.

I turned my eyes onto the battlefield to see three Poke Balls fly from Prof. Russell's side. "Hey, who are those two?" I asked, pulling out my Pokedex.  
One of the three Pokemon sent out was a Ferroseed, though I wasn't sure if it was the one Trixa had battled or not. It looked healthy, so it must have been a second one, but the other two Pokemon were new to me, although one looked like Klang.

_**Klink. The Gear Pokemon. The two Pokemon connect with each other and are bonded for life. They provide each other with required life energy by spinning.**_

_**Feroseed. The Thorn Seed Pokemon. The thorns around their bodies, as well as their hard bodies, protect them from opponents. They are found in caves, clinging to the ceiling, absorbing iron.**_

_**Escavalier. The Cavalry Pokemon. The evolved form of Karrablast. It is now inside of the shell of a Shelmet, which triggered the evolution while both Pokemon were in the presence of a strong, electric encounter, and has maintained its nasty attitude, now boosted, and will face any opponent without hesitation.**_

Well, that's interesting, I thought as my Pokemon were sent out.

The machine screen now read **5:00**.

"You may have the first move, Gary," Prof. Russell offered. "Let us begin!"

"Okay! Whoa!" Hearing my voice so loud all over the room was indeed weird. I could hear my lisp so clearly like this. It was embarrassing. I cleared my throat and shouted, "Stun Spore!"

"Thunder Wave!" Prof. Russell called out, his voice now echoing as well.

Cottonee moved fast, spraying Ferroseed with a golden powder.

Ferroseed closed its eyes in pain, twitching, but then, its body sparked with blue electricity and it shocked Cottonee.

Both Pokemon were now Paralyzed.

"Hmm." I was okay with this. At least both Pokemon were Paralyzed.

"Pin Missile!" Prof. Russell ordered.

Ferroseed's spikes glowed white and it fired multiple white shots at Cottonee.

Cottonee screamed out in shock and was moved back by the Super Effective hit.

"Cottonee, hold on!" I urged him as I tried to think of a way to fight back.

"Pin Missile!"

"Of course!" I touched one of the swirling arrows on the bottom left of the screen, and Cottonee was swiftly moved on the circular platform, switching places with Drilbur, who switched with Pidove, who took the center stage, and the not so effective Pin Missile.

Pidove cried out, but flapped his wings strongly after the move ended, showing his strength.

"Pidove, Gust attack!"

Ferroseed was maneuvered on its platflorm, moving into Excavelier's spot, who moved into Klink's spot, who was now in the front, and took the Gust attack, which didn't do very much to the Steel type.

"Nice one," I muttered. "Alright, then."

"Gear Grind!" Prof. Russell ordered his Pokemon.

Pidove was swapped around, replacing Cottonee, who switched with Drilbur, who was now in the front.

Klink's two spinning bodies spun in place, fast, making a loud _klink_ noise, and sparks started to fly. The _klink _noise picked up in speed as it repeatedly rang out through the battlefield.

"Driiiiiil!" Drilbur cried out as a gear flew from Klink's body and smacked Drilbur in the head.

The hard to spot gear flew back to Klink, and a second gear flew out from Klink's body and smacked Drilbur in the face, dropping him to the ground weakly before it returned back to Klink.

"Drilbur, fight back with-" It was then that I realized just how complex this battle was going to be. I can't just attack with a Ground move, I realized. He could switch out for Ferroseed or Escavalier. Klink is Steel, so Ground type moves would be powerful against it. But the other two are part Steel, part another type that can make the damage a lot less serious. But I also have an advantage. I have a lot of types with me. He can't hit Drilbur with an Electric move, and they won't hurt Cottonee too bad. "Hone Claws!"

Drilbur's claws glowed white as he slashed them against each other, boosting his Attack and Accuracy.

I stared at the battlefield silently as I dwelled on all of the possibilities of a Rotation Battle. Our Attack is boosted now, I told myself. Just attack. Even if the Grass typing on Ferroseed or the Bug typing on Escavalier weakens the blow, you're still gonna send some big time damage.

**2:57** was on the timer.

"Earthquake!" I shouted.

Drilbur leaped into the air.

Klink was swapped for Escavalier and Drilbur landed on the ground one good time and hit Escavalier with Earthquake.

Escavalier flinched in pain from the strong hit.

"Attack back with Toxic attack!" Prof. Russell yelled.

Escavalier sprayed a purple toxin at Drilbur's face, and Drilbur dropped to the ground, swiping at his face in pain as the poison set in.

Drilbur's face flushed purple and he shook his head, stumbling around as he got back on his feet.

"Drilbur!" I yelled out to him.

I switched Drilbur around for Cottonee.

"Stun Spore attack!" I yelled.

Cottonee immediately surrounded Escavalier with the golden powder, causing it to back up, shivering in pain from the move.

"Swords Dance!" Prof. Russell said.

Escavalier crossed its arms and they glowed a deep, dark purple as they then uncrossed and it began maneuvering them in quick, dangerous patterns, increasing its Attack greatly.

I decided to switch out Cottonee for Pidove.

Escavalier was switched out for Klink.

"I knew it! Thunderbolt!" Prof. Russell shouted.

"Pidove!" was all I could shout.

My pigeon was zapped by the powerful move and he dropped like a deflated basketball, a lump on the ground.

"Pidove! Get up!" I screamed angrily.

Pidove's head lifted weakly as he glared up at Klink.

"That's the spirit, Pidove! Don't you give in! Get up and use Roost to regain your energy!" I encouraged him.

Pidove got up to his feet and focused hard on Klink.

"Yes! With Roost, we have a chance, even against Electric moves if we can just keep getting up!" I cheered happily.

"And when you use Roost, Pidove will no longer be a Flying type for a short time, so Electric moves won't hurt so bad," June mentioned.

Trixa was still angry, but she looked over at the battlefield on occasion before looking away with a grunt.

"Okay, now that you're feeling better after Roost, let's fight with Quick Attack! Get it!" I shouted.

"Roost?" June asked me in confusion.

Pidove flew like a bolt at Klink and it cried out, taking the hit well, as expected, since Normal attacks like Quick Attack do very little against Steel type Pokemon like Klink.

I was just trying to chip away at Klink's health.

"Yeah, June," I said, not turning to her. "Roost."

"But, Pidove didn't use it," June said slowly.

I turned to her sharply. "What do you mean? He did use it!" My heart began to beat even quicker. "Right?"

June shook her head fast, her eyes wide. "He just sat there, Gary!"

"Thunderbolt!"

"Pidove! Detect!"

Klink's body sparked and it attacked Pidove.

Pidove flapped his wings and then cried out in shock, flying away from the multiple bolts of electricity that were filling the field.

"Pidove! Stop running and just use Detect!" I screamed into the microphone.

"Pidoooooooove!" Pidove screamed as he was hit by Thunderbolt, and then dropped to the floor. A few seconds later, his body flashed red, and he was removed from the field.

The circular platform turned to the right, and Drilbur was now in front, still looking sick from the Poison.

"What happened out there?!" I yelled angrily, tossing my hands up in the air as Pidove's silhouette was replaced with a black and white image of him, a big, red **X** over it.

"He forgot…" June whispered.

"Really?" I whined, and I could tell that fear was evident on my face. "At a time like this? Seriously?"

"Focus, Gary." June grabbed my shoulders and turned me around.

I stared at Drilbur and Cottonee, wondering if I should switch them, wondering what Prof. Russell had planned.

**1:11**

"Okay, let's just go for Earthquake!" I shouted.

Drilbur leaped into the air and landed, rocking the battlefield, and Klink cried out in surprise as it was brought down to the ground.

Klink remained still, its eyes closed. A few seconds later, its body glowed red, and it was removed from the battlefield.

The bug in armor was put in Klink's place and gave Drilbur a death glare.

"Now, let's use with X-Scissor!" Prof. Russell said confidently.

Escavalier soared at Drilbur, its arms crossed and glowing light blue, and it slammed into Drilbur.

Drilbur groaned painfully and dropped to his knees, breathing hard, looking ready to give in.

"Drilbur!" I yelled out to him. "Hang in there! Please! Just hang in there! I'm counting on you, Drilbur! Get to your feet! Up! Right now! I'm only telling you what I know you can do! You _can _do it!"

Drilbur looked up and tried to find me, but he couldn't see me.

"Drilbur! I'm here! Believe me! You can't see me right now, but just listen to me and trust my voice! We will win this one! Hang in there!"

"Drilbur!" Drilbur managed a smile and turned determinedly to Escavalier. "Driiiiiiill!" Drilbur fell down again, twitching in pain, suffering from the ever increasing damage of Toxic's Poison.

"Drilbur!" I cried, slamming my hands down on the machine, glaring at the battlefield. If I swap, what good will it do? He still has to come out again, either way, if Cottonee can't beat that thing.

"Another Swords Dance, and then we'll end this match," Prof. Russell insisted.

Escavalier raised its Attack further with Swords Dance.

"Hone Claws!" I instructed Drilbur.

Drilbur's arms shook as he pushed himself up, but then, he fell down to his face, his teeth grit hard, his eyes closed tight, trying to will away the pain.

It hurt me to see my Pokemon in this state. I knew I would hate to be in his position. I almost felt hatred towards myself for allowing this to happen. Was this right? I wondered suddenly. Are Pokemon built for this kind of battling, or is there really no difference between the pain they feel, and the pain I would feel if I were in their shoes? I've taken hits from Pokemon before. Pokemon are definitely stronger than any human could hope to be.

Drilbur groaned in pain as Escavalier finished its Swords Dance.

But does that make this okay? Is this fair? My eyes watered as Drilbur pushed himself up and got to his feet, bent over, gasping for air.

Even if, somehow, this is okay, a good Pokemon Trainer has to know when to stop, I told myself.

"Now, end this with X-Scissor!" Prof. Russell screamed excitedly.

I grabbed the stylus to switch for Cottonee.

Just as my hand snatched it up, Escavalier froze and his eyes closed in pain and he moaned his name.

"Paralysis," I said in a voice just below a whisper, stunned. But now what?

Both Pokemon looked at each other, heaving heavily.

I had a feeling Russell and I were waiting for something to happen.

Tensions were high, and in a Rotation Battle, anything was bound to happen. Do we swap? Attack?

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Escavalier dropped to the floor.

I'm not sure which one happened first.

There was a very spooky silence, the creepiness increased by Prof. Russell's silhouette in that bubble so far away from us. It didn't move. It just stared back silently.

Escavalier was the first to leave the field in a flash of red, followed by Drilbur, who remained on his feet.

Soon, it was Cottonee, and then Ferroseed who were gone.

YOU WIN! were the small, simple words on the machine screen in yellow.

A flash of white light blinded me before I understood what was happening.

It was several seconds later, and now, I could hear applause, but I couldn't see anything. I blinked my eyes hard, trying to get rid of the flash in my eyes.

"Huh?" I heard Trixa cry out near me.

"What's happening? I can't see a thing!" June complained.

It took a few more minutes, but finally, I could see that I was no longer in the bubble I had been in previously, but instead, I sat in a huge room, the ceilings holding several chandeliers that lit up the room immensely.

June and Trixa were next to me, gazing around the room we were in. We were sitting in large, polished, wooden chairs with a comfy black cushion on the back and where we sat.

Several people surrounded us, all wearing black suits, looking like maids and servants. I even recognized Dyue!

"Welcome back, Gary and Trixa," one of the people said as he stepped up to me. "Our sincere sorrow goes out to you, Trixa." He bowed. "But a most sincere congratulations for you, Gary, on earning your Iron Badge. It is my honor." He held out a white cloth towards me as he bowed once again. It held a tiny, gray, metal item in the shape of a horseshoe.

"My… Iron Badge?" I gasped as I stood up.

"Congratulations, sir," the man told me.

I smiled and took it carefully. "I won my second badge! The Iron Badge!"

Everyone in the room, June and Trixa included, applauded me loudly.

"There shall be a special dinner here for you. Perhaps, a party, or a celebration, is the better word," the man who gave me my badge informed me with a proud smile. "We hope you'll join us."

I hate parties and huge celebrations, I thought to myself. I have to find a way out of this. But how can I be rude like that? This city is amazing! I can't just deny them like that. I really didn't want to go to this party, but I put on my best smile, glanced around at everyone, and said, "Well, DUH!" I laughed.

Everyone laughed and applauded me.

The party was horrible, like I knew it would be.

The food was the best I'd ever had, period. There was a lot of laughter and joking and me telling my story of my win, at the very least, five thousand times, to everyone. There were a ton of beautiful girls everywhere I looked. I took about a billion photos.

The problem was, there were just too many people. In fact, that wasn't it, so much. It was just how socially awkward I can be, even in small crowds. Sometimes, I can get so uncomfortable around people I know, let alone those I've never met a day in my life. All the noise, the commotion, how ugly I felt in the presence of so many beautiful, perfect people, their smiles making me wish I were dead. I could never have as perfect a smile as one person in that room did, the small gap in between my two front teeth making me feel as if I were a leper.

On occasion, a few people asked me and June about our survival at the Pokemon League in Kanto two years ago when Team Solace had attacked, and we had to respectfully decline discussing it several times, everyone understanding our feelings and apologizing, although, every thirty minutes or so, someone new would appear and ask us if we were indeed the kids who had survived the attack.

It was a pretty horrible night for how much I was laughing and having a pretty good time, though a lot of the laughter and smiles I displayed were forced.

Trixa seemed to be enjoying herself, but every once in a while, I caught her scowling at the floor momentarily before smiling broadly and going to the tables lined with food. The girl sure could eat. I rarely caught her without a plate of food, eagerly devouring whatever was on it.

All of our Pokemon had been sent to the Pokemon Center at the same time that June, Trixa, and I had been teleported out of the gym, and we were told that they were all in a special room designed for Pokemon to enjoy themselves while the people partied.

I didn't see Prof. Russell once the entire night. When I inquired about him to one of the servants, he informed me that Prof. Russell was a hard worker and not the most social man, but is very kind. He said that Prof. Russell works so hard that it is rumored that he gets next to no sleep as he works on ways to improve the city and his battling skills as a Gym Leader.

Now, we were all in the bedroom, me on one of the three beds in the room, flipping through the TV channels.

June was in her bed, staring at the TV I was surfing through, a bored look on her face.

Trixa was stretching her legs around in all kinds of directions, paying us no mind.

Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, and I tossed the remote onto June's bed and sat up, looking at Trixa.

"Hey!" June cried out in surprise.

"Trixa!" I called to her.

Trixa turned very slowly to me, a crazed smile on her face, her eyes wide, her legs frozen in the air. "Mmmm?"

"Uh… So when do you plan on going back to fight for your Iron Badge?" I asked.

"I'm not." She giggled and smiled at me.

"What do you mean? Why not?"

She shrugged. "I don't like it there. I'm gonna just go to the next city or town. They cheat here."

I sighed. "Trixa, don't say that," I said. "They don't cheat. They just battle differently here."

"It's silly!" Trixa insisted, maintaining her smile. "I'll get my next badge where they don't have silly willy rules." She laughed and started peddling her legs in the air as if she was on a bicycle.

"Trixa, don't be dumb, for once," I said with a little more attitude than I had intended. "Come on. Let's head outside right now and have us a battle!" I smiled at her.

Trixa turned back to me, but her smile was gone, her eyes squinted, a cold look forcing my smile away. She shook her head. "You know, sometimes, Gary, you're nice. But other times, you are just, like. I don't even wanna say it. I don't even care to say it. I really, really think I'm sick of you already."

June cut off the TV. "Okay, wait a minute, everyone. Let-"

"June, no, okay? I've been thinking about this for a while." Trixa stood up and crossed her arms, her eyes glued to me. "I was never well liked at school, or in my neighborhood. My family loved me, but that was about it. I feel like I've mentioned this to you before. Well, I left on a journey to find out if I could find real friends. If they couldn't be human, then Pokemon would be just as good, and I was sure they'd be even better. And guess what? I was right. Pokemon are incredible, loving, cuddly, funny, and they don't hate me!" Trixa's eyes were overflowing with tears, running onto her cheeks.

"Trixa, I never said I hate you!" I said, leaping out of bed and onto my feet. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like this. I had no idea I was making you feel that way." I was sincerely feeling bad now. Even if I thought Trixa was out of her mind, she was still a kind person, and after all this time, she had sort of grown on me, in a way, I guess. She was truly like a friend now. Or something.

"Trixa, don't let Gary get to you, honey," June pleaded as she stood up. "He's always like that. He's a good person deep down."

"I don't want that! I want to be with open, honest people. Not people who put you down and look at you crazy! I see those looks, Gary!" Trixa was openly crying as she spoke.

June walked over to Trixa, her arms open wide to pull her into a hug.

"No, June!" Trixa sobbed. "I don't want this! This isn't what I want! Nobody should make anyone cry like this! Ever! It's not what I believe in! And now, I'm crying. I know it's my time to go. I always know. I just never know soon enough." Trixa made her way past June and I and left the bedroom.

"Trixa!" June called after her. She glared at me. "Do something!"

I ran out of the room after Trixa.

She was sniffling by the door, digging through her bag.

"Trixa, please. Wait," I said to her calmly as I got closer to her. "I just want you to hear me out. If you want to leave, you can, but at least allow me to say goodbye. At least hear-wait… Is that a freaking Town Map? Your electronic one?!"

"Huh? Yeah," Trixa said, turning to me with a smile, her eyes puffy and red. "I found it like, last week or something. I guess I didn't lose it, after all!" She smiled.

"_And you didn't tell anyone?_" I shouted angrily. "What in the name of common sense is _wrong with you?_"

"_GARY!_" June shrieked behind me.

My eyes widened in shock. "Oh…"

Trixa's bottom lip quivered, and without another word, she grabbed her bag and bolted from the room, slamming the door behind her.

I stood there, staring at the door. Did I really just lose it over a freaking map? I asked myself. I know she's insane, but was I really that fed up with her? What is wrong with me? Am I really that bad of a person? Am I that secluded and resistant that I make people feel that way around me? I turned around to see June staring at me, her eyes watering. Why do _you_ stay, then, June? "I'm sorry," I whispered to her, my own eyes tearing up sorrowfully.

June nodded, and then she silently turned away from me. She walked into the bedroom and closed the door quietly.

I stood in the middle of the living room, and I'm pretty sure I didn't move for a few hours.

One of the servants had come in to check on me and June after Trixa had left, and after letting him know we were fine, he left.

Eventually, I sat down on the ground, and as sleep started to force itself into me, I wrapped my arms around my knees and rested my head on my knees. My eyes closed as I got closer to sleep.

It had been a good while since I'd taken the time to analyze myself and realize what a crappy person I truly can be to the people I care about.


	14. Judgment Day

"We hope that you enjoyed your stay," the man behind the counter in the lobby said, standing up in his red suit and taking a short bow. "Vancteck City enjoyed your stay, and again, we all congratulate you on your victory."

"Thank you very much," I managed to smile. I felt like crap today and wasn't in the best mood.

June and I had stayed a few more days at Vancteck Mansion at the insistence of Mr. Rui, the man who I was now speaking to. I didn't think June was too eager to be traveling with me at the moment, so a few days for us to try to calm down sounded like a fine idea.

She stayed in the bedroom, coming out rarely, sometimes leaving the room altogether, but she didn't speak a word to me at first.

I had been sleeping on the sofa, and didn't attempt speaking to June, either. I felt bad and didn't feel that I deserved to say a word. I feared June may be the next to leave.

It took a while, but finally, she began to speak a little. It started with a simple, "Good morning." It grew into, "I'm heading out for a bit." Eventually, we were eating together in the bedroom, and even laughed together while watching some cartoon I'd never heard of called _Venture Hour_.

"Where might you two be heading off to for your next badge, if you don't mind me asking?" Mr. Rui asked.

"Well, I thought that maybe we could head off to Castelia City," I said hesitantly. Castelia City was a huge place based on how much of the map it took up, but it wasn't the ideal place I wanted to go to next. The map informed me that it was the Bug Gym ran by someone named Burgh. Realizing that made me shudder, but it also was the closest gym.

"Ah, very well, then," Mr. Rui nodded slowly. "There's a train that you can catch that will take you directly there. It's just outside of this building, to the right. You go straight down and you'll see a sign directing you to the right and you'll see the subway."

"Oh, wow! That sounds great!" I exclaimed. I hadn't taken a train in years.

"We'll get to Castelia in no time," June noted thoughtfully.

"Thanks a lot," I said.

"It is my pleasure," Mr. Rui bowed again. "Good luck on your journey."

"Bye!" June and I called to him as we walked to the door, held open by a beautiful woman in a blue top and skirt.

"Come back anytime!" she said cheerfully.

"Thank you," I smiled, my eyes stuck on her beauty momentarily before I looked away, and June and I made a right, heading down the path directed to us by Mr. Rui.

"Good thing I wore my jacket," I said as I dug my hands into my pockets, a harsh wind blowing against us.

"I think that's a little light," June commented. "You need a real coat." She adjusted her baby blue coat.

"I have one, June," I said impatiently. "I'm fine for now. It's only gonna get worse."

"Yeah, Winter is coming quick. But that also means that New Year's is also coming up!" June said, looking up into the late afternoon sky. "Come to think of it, I remember our last New Year's together, Gary."

"Great," I mumbled. That wasn't something I cared to think about at the moment.

A man and woman held hands together as they walked past June and I, giving us a kind smile.

I smiled back and looked away, a shy feeling spreading throughout me.

"Mommy! Mommy!" a little girl cried out from the other side of the moving path between us, a small group of men and women being carried along by the conveyer belt ground to some unknown location. The little girl wore pink stretch pants and a white t-shirt that ruffled hard in the wind, her hair in her face as she pulled her mom's hand and pointed at the window of a store.

The woman looked up at the store with an exasperated sigh.

"I wonder where we'll be this New Year's," June continued. "You know, it's been about three years since we met in Gringey City, and we're still are friends to this day."

"Yeah," was all I said as I looked down at the ground. Three years, I thought.

Aly.

Robin.

Catherine.

June.

Kiwi.

Team Solace.

Isaac.

Charizard.

Beedrill.

Primeape.

Saffron City.

The Pokemon League.

I shook my head hard as visions of my last journey flashed through my mind. I felt a little angry that June had so carelessly mentioned the last three years like that. Did she only remember that we met three years ago? Did she not recall the hell we had gone through during those three years?

June's head lowered and she didn't speak any further.

I wondered if maybe she realized how stupid of a thing it was for her to have brought up the past three years, and then I glanced ahead of me. "Vancteck Station," I read a yellow sign that seemed to be made of some kind of chrome material in the shape of an arrow, pointing down a path to our right. "Guess this is it."

The arrow directed us down another street resembling the one June and I had come from, the street resembling the ground paths on either side of it, each side of the street holding one large chrome building, stretching as far as my eyes could see, numerous windows dotting them, a door along the bottom of the buildings every several feet. Both long structures gleamed under the dimming light of the sky above.

Within a few seconds of walking, I saw a large opening in the building that led to an escalator leading down.

The roar of trains below brought back memories of taking the train with my parents what felt like such a long time ago.

June and I stood still on the escalator and I looked at the surroundings.

The walls of the opening we had gone through were square blocks of ceramic material, the color in a pattern of gray and white, following us all the way down to where we stepped off of the escalator. Three metal turnstiles stood before us, the subway platform on the other side of it, two stores selling magazines, candy, and Pokemon items on either side of us. A lady in a yellow and red outfit sat behind a wall of glass in a booth, smiling at us.

"I'll buy the tickets," June said, and walked to the booth.

"I can buy my own," I said.

We stopped at the booth.

"Two tickets, please," June smiled, holding up two fingers.

A loud rumble roared through the station, but when I turned to look, I couldn't see a train.

The floor of the platform past the turnstile was black, a red line painted near the edge.

Another, identical platform was on the other side of the station, a large, black, concrete wall separating both platforms, a long rectangle cut out of the bottom of it every several inches.

"You're June and Gary, aren't you?" the lady asked, her red hair in her eyes.

June and I stared at the lady in silence, our eyes wide with surprise.

"You beat Prof. Russell, Gary! You don't need to pay. Go right on ahead."

"Really?" June cried happily.

"Wow! Vancteck really knows how to care for people!" I laughed.

The rumble of the train got closer.

The lady pressed a button, and a light _buzz_ rang out.

A black, steel door next to the turnstile with a red label that read **Emergency**, opened.

"And you're both headed to Castelia City, is that right?" the woman asked.

"Yeah!" I said, surprised she seemed to know everything about us.

"Well, your train is right here!" she pointed.

The train finally showed up, practically glimmering in its chrome color, and it came to a stop with a low grunt.

"I love your hair!" June gushed.

"Really? Thank you!" the woman said excitedly, fanning her face, looking up at the ceiling. "I just got it done and I love what they did to it!"

"Where did you go to get it done?" June asked.

"I went to this spot over in-"

"We've gotta catch the train! Sorry!" I interrupted, and yanked June by the wrist as she screamed out in surprise.

We ran through the metal door and towards the train.

The doors of the train opened, and a few people walked out.

A couple of young guys laughed as they eagerly stepped into the train, and June and I followed.

The inside of the train was clean as a whistle, the floor a light blue, matching June's jacket, the walls practically glowing in their white color, advertisements all over them. On one side of the train, high on the wall, was a white beam that read in yellow, digital words: **Vancteck Station. **The words soon were replaced with: **Castelia Station**. Afterwards, it showed the date and time before showing: **Vancteck Station**. The same kind of beam was on the opposite side of the train. Metal bars with overhead straps were position high over the seats. The train wasn't that full, a couple of people talking to one another, while others were sleeping.

One man opened his left eye and glanced at me, and then at June. He gave her a onceover and then closed his eye again.

"Stand away from the closing doors," a voice rang out through the speakers of car we were in, and the doors slid close with a gentle, low chime.

June and I took a seat next to each other as the train began to move.

"This is a pretty cool way to travel, huh?" June asked, looking out the window.

"It's definitely different, and way faster," I agreed.

"And looky here!" June ran over to a map on the wall across from us. "Trains run all throughout Unova! We could travel through the entire region by train and not have to worry about walking all the time."  
"Are you serious?" I asked, and stood up, walking over to her to check out the map.

"Yeah, you see? This is Nuvema Town, and over here is Accumula Town. And this whole thing is all of Unova!"

I pulled out my Town Map and put it up against the window near the map where flashes of electricity from the tunnel we were now traveling through made their presence known.

June was right. The Town Map and the Subway map were identical. We could travel throughout Unova in no time at all, collecting badges.

"Wait, we can't do that," I said as I folded up the Town Map and slipped it back into my pocket.

"Why not?" June asked as she followed me back to our seat.

"How am I supposed to train? Or capture wild Pokemon? We'll miss out on what it really means to be a Pokemon Trainer. We can't skip the most important parts."

"Hmmm." June brushed her hair aside. "I suppose you're right. But, hey, at least we got to ride a train!" She smiled brightly.

"Yeah, this was a nice experience, but now I can't help but wonder what kind of Pokemon we missed out on."

"There's plenty of Pokemon out there, Gary," June said, placing her hand on my shoulder. "We'll meet tons!"

I gently shrugged my shoulder and looked away from her, making her hand drop from it. "Yeah, yeah."

The train suddenly came out of the dark tunnel and we were now having a ride outside, the sea far beneath the train tracks, the cloudy, darkening sky stretched out above us.

"Look at that!" June and I exclaimed at the same time.

I was pointing at what had to be Castelia City, a collection of skyscrapers on a large island up ahead.

June was pointing out the window on the opposite side, and we switched views, June looking out the window near us, and I looked out the window opposite us to see an enormous bridge that was leading directly to Castelia City!

"Whoa!" we both exclaimed.

I pulled out my Town Map and scanned it for a few seconds. "That bridge is Skyarrow Bridge! It leads right to Castelia!"

"Castelia City is so beautiful! And so is that bridge!" June said, mesmerized.

As we got closer to Castelia City, the train was heading back underground, and before long, our view outside was over as we surrounded by a dark tunnel.

"That was incredible," June said, wrapping her arms around herself with delight.

"Coming up next is Castelia Station," the voice called out through the speakers of the car again. "Next stop is Nimbasa Station."

"Nimbasa City! Oh my goodness! Great!" June said eagerly, and stood up. "This is the best way to travel!"

The two young guys who stepped into the train before June and I snickered at her excitement.

The train came out of the dark tunnel and slowed down at Castelia Station.

As June and I walked to the door, I glanced back to see the two guys checking out June. They looked up at me and snickered.

I glared at them but turned away. I don't care, I told myself. They can look at her all they want. She isn't my girlfriend. Stupid boys. I'd beat them up anyway. They don't want it with me. Jerks. I began to wonder where all of this sudden anger came from as the doors opened.

June and I stepped out of the train and onto a platform with a blue floor and a yellow line near the edge, the walls a ceramic pattern of yellow and brown. We walked up a flight of stairs and gazed around in confusion.

The floor was a shiny purple color, and there were at least four exits surrounding us, and at least six escalators and stairs leading downstairs. Stores littered this fancy area, selling clothes, food, and many other things.

"What do we do from here?" I asked.

"Well, it seems the exits must all lead out to Castelia," June said, looking around. "Let's just choose one and find our way."

"Fine."

We walked through one of the turnstiles near us and up the longest flight of stairs I'd climbed in recent memory. We reached the top, exhausted and out of breath.

"At least Vancteck had a freaking escalator," June gasped with a smile.

I let out a little laugh as I stood up straight and looked around. "This can't be Castelia City."

The sea stretched out before us, splashing lightly against a concrete structure June and I were standing on, the floor of it lined by a steel railing. The sky was a deep purple, nearly black, the clouds wispy, gray slivers in the sky, a gloomy look on the waters before us.

"Well, there's a set of stairs right over here, silly," June giggled.

I turned around to see her standing by a set of stairs that curved around a huge, gray, concrete beam that stretched up to a higher landing. "Oh."

June laughed loudly and led the way around the curving set of stairs.

It wasn't much longer before we were at the top, breathing heavily.

"Is that it?" I asked, pointing ahead of us at the huge city only a couple of minutes away.

"You'd think they'd put the station a bit closer to the city," June complained, hands on her knees.

"Let's just go," I said, and walked past her towards the city.

We walked along the street together, slowly, taking our time as we regained our energy.

"This should be interesting, fighting Bug types again," June stated.

I sighed, and didn't reply. Tera, I remembered. Thanks for bringing up more crap I don't really care to remember, June. Butterfree. Ninjask. Shedinja. Venomoth. I shuddered and tried to stop thinking about the Bug types the Viridian Gym Leader owned as I rubbed my arms, goose bumps running along them.

"Hey, someone's coming!" June said, pointing ahead.

I saw the person, too.

She got closer and turned to us, giving us a smile. "Hey!" she called out to us. She stopped and stepped over to June, her eyes wide. "Whoa! That _hair!_ That is awesome! Is it naturally that color?"

June blushed and stared at this girl in surprise. "It is," she answered.

"It's so bright! That's so beautiful!" the girl said.

"Thank you!" June smiled.

"Sorry, you must think I'm crazy, just running up to you like this," she smiled, brushing her hair aside. "I was on my way to catch the train! Are you two Pokemon Trainers?"

June and I nodded.

"My name is June." June extended her hand.

"And I'm Gary." I shook the girl's hand next.

"A great pleasure you to meet you two!" she said to us, shaking our hands in turn. "My name is Ruko."

"It's nice to meet you, Ruko!" June said.

"Yeah," I said, giving a short nod.

"Hey, how many badges do you guys have?" Ruko asked.

"I have two so far," I replied.

"I'm not traveling for badges," June explained. "I'm traveling with Gary to learn a lot about Pokemon. I used to be a Gym Leader, though."

"WOW! That's so sweet! A real life Gym Leader? For what type?" Ruko shouted excitedly.

"I raised Electric types in Gringey City," June said, blushing again.

"Electric types RULE!" Ruko yelled. "WOW! Wait, where's Gringey City?"

"It's in the Kanto Region," June told her.

"Oh, I see," Ruko smiled. "I've never been out of Unova before. This is my first Pokemon journey. So far, I've earned five badges!"

"_Five?_" I gasped.

"That's right!" Ruko beamed proudly.

She must be pretty good, I thought to myself.

"Why'd you stop being a Gym Leader?" Ruko asked June curiously.

June giggled a little. "I had a lot to learn about being a Gym Leader, and about how to work with my Pokemon in general. Gary kind of taught me that, so I decided to quit before I got fired from my position from all of my losses and focus on what matters most to me; my relationship with my friends. My Pokemon."

"Awww," Ruko said admiringly. "That's really sweet of you, June! I agree that the relationship between a trainer and their Pokemon matters more than anything else. Friendship is the best!"

There was a moment of silence as we all stared at each other.

"So, either of you want to battle?" Ruko asked again, her eyes bright with anticipation.

June and I turned to each other.

"June would make more sense to battle right now, I guess," I said, looking to the ground.

"Ah. Okay, then!" Ruko grabbed a Poke Ball. "What kind of battle would you like? I'm kind of in a rush, but I can't resist a quick battle."

"I don't mind," June replied. "If you're in a rush, we could do a one-on-one battle."

"How about a two-on-two instead?" Ruko offered. "If you're a Gym Leader, you've gotta be good! I want to make this one worth it!"

"Well, I'm a previous Gym Leader who wasn't very good at her job, but, sure, a two-on-two sounds fine to me," June agreed.

"Nonsense! I know you're tough and were fine at your job! If they were going to fire you, it was because they couldn't handle your awesome talent!"

"Uh… It really was quite the opposite of that," June laughed uncomfortably.

"We'll see." Ruko backed up several feet. "You ready to battle?"

"Alright." June set her bag on the ground.

"Give it your all. A losing attitude will only result in a loss," Ruko encouraged June.

June smiled and nodded. "Okay. Let's begin!"

"Bouffalant, I choose you!" Ruko yelled, throwing her Poke Ball.

_**Bouffalant. The Bash Buffalo Pokemon. Its afro-like fur repels physical attacks. They live in herds and will charge at anything in their territory, violently.**_

"Okay." June dug through her bag and pulled out a Poke Ball. "Then, I'm going with Magneton! GO!"

"Magnetooooon!" Magneton cried.

"Whoa! Never saw one of those before!" Ruko pulled out a pink Pokedex that looked slightly different from Ella and Trixa's.

_**Magneton. The Magnet Pokemon and the evolved form of Magnemite. It floats based off of the heavy gravitational energy within its body. The power of this Pokemon's electromagnetic waves can dry out surrounding moisture.**_

"That Pokemon sounds so cool!" Ruko complimented as she put her Pokedex away.

"Thank you! I've never seen a Bouffalant before," June told Ruko. "She looks so tough!"

"Thank you, it… Wait. Did you just say 'she?'" Ruko asked, giving June a confused look.

"That's right. Your Bouffalant is a female!"

"It is?" Ruko looked at Bouffalant in shock.

Bouffalant turned to her and grunted.

"But, how can you tell?" Ruko asked, turning back to June, confused.

"It's a little gift of mine," June said as her hands shyly went to her back, her eyes lowering to the ground. "I can communicate with Pokemon. They can understand me, and I can hear them, too. I can also see their gender differences clear as day."

"You. Are. SO COOOOOOOOOOL!" Ruko bellowed at the top of her lungs. "WOW! I'm definitely going to lose. BAD!" Ruko laughed.

"Well, let's find out. You go first," June smiled.

"Really? Wow! I even get to attack first! Awesome!" Ruko cried happily. "Hmm. Alright, then, use Leer!"  
Bouffalant's eyes glowed red, causing Magneton to cry out in surprise as it backed up.

"Magneton, stand your ground and use Zap Cannon!" June pointed at Bouffalant.

Magneton's body sparked with yellow electricity and a ball that sparked yellow, black, and purple electricity fired out at Bouffalant.

Bouffalant lowered her head and took the attack, roaring as she stumbled back. She dropped to her knees and her body sparked.

"She's now Paralyzed," June informed Ruko.

"Right," Ruko said, a determined look on her face.

"Now, use Gyro Ball!" June shouted.

"Revenge!" Ruko called out.

Magneton spun in place quickly and flew out to Bouffalant, slamming into her head, knocking her to the ground.

"Yes! You're doing great, Magneton!" June cheered.

Bouffalant leaped to her feet as Magneton stopped spinning and her body glowed with a golden color. "BOUUUUUUUUUUFFALAAAAAANNTTTT!" she roared as the orange aura erupted from her body and slammed into Magneton.

"TOOOOOOOONNNN!" Magneton yelled as it was hit and landed on the ground.

"Magneton!" June gasped. "_What? _NO!" June ran to her Pokemon and rested her hands on the combined three magnets. "What happened out there?"

Magneton let out a weak cry.

"It's alright. Relax. You did well." June returned her Magneton.

"It's done?!" I called out in shock.

June turned to me with a sad look on her face and nodded.

"What kind of move…?" I pulled out my Pokedex.

_**Revenge. If the user takes damage before attacking with this move, the damage for this Fighting type move is doubled.**_

"Wow," I murmured. "A Steel type like Magneton is weak to Fighting moves. That was rough."

June walked back to her bag and dug through it before her hands pulled out one Poke Ball each. She stared at them both momentarily, a serious look on her face, and then put one of the Poke Balls back and stood up. "Eevee, you're up next!" She three Eevee's Poke Ball.

"Eevee?" I asked, staring at her.

"Oh, my goodness, that thing is so freaking _cuuuuuuute!_" Ruko squealed as she pulled out her Pokedex.

_**Eevee. The Evolution Pokemon. Known to evolve into a multitude of different types of Pokemon depending on its environment, this Pokemon is still studied to this day to learn more about it.**_

"Oh, man! I think I'd do just about anything to own a Pokemon that cool!" Ruko exclaimed.

"Thank you, Ruko! You're really kind!" June said. "Well, you're up first!"

"Right! Bouffalant, another Revenge attack!" Ruko ordered.

"Eevee, use your Tail Whip!" June said.

"Tail Whip?" I asked, frowning in confusion, crossing my arms in disapproval.

Eevee ran up to Bouffalant and whipped her face with her tail.

Bouffalant shook her face and her body glowed orange again. The aura exploded from her body and tossed the little Eevee back, through the air, and she bounced on the ground.

"Eevee, get up!" June begged.

Why choose an Eevee? I wondered. Why not Electivire? Or at least, like, _anything_ else but a little Eevee!

Eevee shook her head and got back to her feet.

"Ah, good one, June!" Ruko said. "You used a move that didn't hurt Bouffalant to cut down the damage Revenge would do!"

June smiled. "Eevee, just a bit more! Use your Double-Edge attack this time!" June ordered.

"Revenge again!" Ruko called out.

Eevee ran as her body was covered in a gold aura. She slammed into Bouffalant, toppling the large buffalo Pokemon over and onto her side. Eevee landed on the ground and twitched from the recoil damage.

Bouffalant groaned in pain, managing back to her feet, and dropped to the ground, her body twitching in pain, sparking from Paralysis.

"Another Double-Edge attack!" June shouted quickly.

Eevee slammed into Bouffalant again, right in the face. She landed on the ground and gave a cheerful cry out to Bouffalant.

Bouffalant let out a pained cry and remained still on the ground.

"Bouffalant!" Ruko cried out in surprise.

Eevee cried out in pain as the recoil damage set in, and she dropped to the ground.

"My Eevee!" June ran to her Pokemon and picked her up, cradling her carefully. She kissed Eevee's forehead with a smile.

Eevee looked up at June and reached her little paws up onto her shoulders and licked June's face before curling up in her arms, shivering.

Bouffalant groaned weakly as she managed back to her feet, breathing hard as she stared at June and Eevee.

June looked up at Bouffalant solemnly before looking back at her Eevee. "You did great, honey," June smiled. "Just wonderful. I knew you'd do well." June returned Eevee to her Poke Ball and then gazed up at Bouffalant, her smile still on her face, but faded slightly.

"That was great, Bouffalant! Come on back!" Ruko returned her Bouffalant and approached June with her hand out. "Hey, that's a tough little pair of Pokemon you have!"

"You're kind, but we didn't do so well," June said with a disappointed sigh.

"Are you kidding me? That Eevee thing was amazing! And the Magneton was just too cool for words! You're such a great trainer! Why you left the position of a Gym Leader, I'll never know! You're so good! You wanna make a trade for the Eevee?"

"What?" June asked, startled by Ruko's words.

"Yeah! I'd love to raise that thing! I always make trades with other trainers," Ruko told June. "I traded for Bouffalant, and all of my other Pokemon, too!"

"Wait, what do you mean?" I asked, stepping up to her. "_All_ of your Pokemon?"

"Yeah! I started out with a Snivy on my journey," Ruko told June and I eagerly. "Then, a trainer I battled beat me, but he really wanted my Snivy and I traded it for his Zorua. Then, I caught a Braviary by total luck! We battled for a while together, but lost to a trainer who had a Druddigon, but he wanted to trade for my Braviary, and of course, I said yes! Then, after that, I just kept making trades with people for Pokemon I caught, and after a while, I didn't even need to catch Pokemon anymore! I just made trades, trades, trades! Sometimes, I even got two Pokemon for one if I played my cards right!" She smiled at us widely.

"Wai-w-w…" I stuttered, unsure of what to say. I took a deep breath. "Do you mean to say that you don't own a single Pokemon right now that you caught on your own?"

"That's right," Ruko nodded eagerly. "I've traded so much, I don't own anything I caught myself!" She laughed.

"But, _why?_ Y-you traded away your own _Snivy?_ Your _Starter_?" I asked frantically.

"It was weak," Ruko said, keeping her smile. "I traded it away for a stronger Pokemon. I trade for Pokemon who have better moves, or Abilities, or have stronger Stats! I wanna win battles!"

"You can win with your Pokemon you catch on your own!" I argued, getting upset. "Just because you lose doesn't mean you can't improve your battling skills and win the next time! You can't just give away your Pokemon like that!"

Ruko's smile remained plastered on her face. "I'm not giving them away. I'm trading them, and getting the best Pokemon I possibly can! And I'm winning with them, too! I'm winning much easier and faster, too. These Pokemon are really tough!"

"That doesn't matter! You can win if you work hard with your Pokemon," I said to Ruko, my heart beating in shock, my body starting to tremble in disbelief. "It isn't about winning battles, Ruko. It's about… It's about winning battles, but with your own Pokemon! I mean, trading is okay, but you can't just give away everything you own to win! It isn't a win for you; it's a win for the original trainer of that Pokemon! What's the point if you're not going to put in the effort yourself?"

"I'm still the one using the Pokemon. If you don't know how to use the Pokemon, you can still lose," Ruko said brightly. "The trainers told me all about the moves their Pokemon know, and they usually tell me how to use them to ensure a victory, too!"

This is madness, I thought to myself. Why would anyone do that? This is not right!

"Ruko," June started, a worried look showing in her eyes.

Ruko lifted her wrist and stared at a fancy, large watch. "Whoa! Look at the time! I've really gotta go! My girlfriend is waiting for me! See you guys later!" Ruko bolted away from us, running to where June and I had come from.

June and I looked after her until she vanished from view. We remained looking after her, silently. Slowly, we turned to face each other.

"Did she just say, girlfriend?" I asked June slowly.

"She did just say, girlfriend," June replied.

"Like, as a friend-friend, or…?"  
June slowly shrugged.

"Huh," I nodded slowly.

We both turned back to where Ruko had disappeared, and then looked ahead to the city not far away from us.

"I'm worried about her," June said in a low voice. "I don't like her motivation of raising Pokemon. It worries me."

"I don't, either, but she's gone now. Let's just continue on," I said, and we walked towards the city.

It wasn't long before the skyscrapers were surrounding us, the tops of them reaching into the night sky above. There were large supermarkets and stores for other purposes everywhere I looked. Trees were planted in front of every few buildings.

"This must be the Pokemon Center!" I said, pointing ahead at a tall, yellow building with a robust awning and a red and white **P **on the front of it.

"Good! My Eevee can rest up and my other Pokemon can get a little something to eat!" June said, clasping her hands together.

"Yeah, and while our Pokemon are getting their food, we'll grab a little lunch, and then we can all head out to find the gym!" I said quickly. "Let's go!" I ran to the doors of the building, and they opened. "Whoa!" I cried out as I slammed into someone and was forced back, slamming to the ground. I looked up and apologized as I stood up.

The person, presumably a man, was wearing sunglasses and a large, black leather coat that reached down to his black shoes. His face was as pale as white paint. He was hunched over badly, but he didn't have a cane, the large lump that was his back reaching higher than his head was, which was leaned forward.

"I'm really sorry," I apologized again. "Are you okay?"

The man didn't say a single word. He turned away from me and slowly walked away, his feet shuffling quickly along the ground, but not carrying him very quickly.

"Weird," June muttered.

"Yeah. It's not even sunny outside," I noted. "And it's practically Winter. Why's he wearing sunglasses?"

"Some people wear them at all hours," June said.

"I know, but how silly is that? Why would you wear sunglasses at night?" I laughed a little.

"So he can watch you weave then breathe your story lines?" June suggested with a smile.

"Huh?" I looked at her in confusion.

"It was a bad joke. Never mind," June said flatly, looking away from me.

I led the way into the Pokemon Center and looked around as we approached the counter.

The inside of the building was packed with people. Most of them seemed to be young adults, with a few young kids around as well.

One girl had long, red hair, and she looked up at me with her dark, green eyes. She smiled slightly, her face visibly full of kindness, her eyes sparkling at me in some sense. She was rather breathtaking, and I stumbled over my feet before looking away from her, embarrassed.

I regained my balance and cleared my throat, adjusted my jacket, and quickly made my way over to the counter where Nurse Joy stood with her Audino, smiling.

"Welcome to the Castelia City Pokemon Center," Nurse Joy greeted me and June.

"Hi, Nurse Joy," I greeted her back. "Mind taking care of these guys for me?" I placed my three Poke Balls on the counter. I really need to start catching some more Pokemon, I thought to myself.

"And mine as well, please," June added, lifting her bag and placing it on the counter with a grunt. She pulled out her five Poke Balls and placed them on the counter.

"Of course! Right away," Nurse Joy scooped up June's Poke Balls, and Audino took mine.

"Well, how about we go to the cafeteria downstairs and-?" I began as I turned around. I let out a loud gasp of fright and backed up into the counter behind me.

A young woman was staring at me, her face mere inches from my own face, squinting at me. "Hey, I think I know you, but maybe I don't." Her eyes squinted hard. "Do you like Bugs? Or Ghosts? The answer better be yes, or I'm totally judging you."

It can't be, I thought to myself, my heart beating painfully in my chest. No way can it be.

This woman spoke very quickly. She stood several inches taller than me, her dark blonde hair sitting underneath a brown ranger hat with a black ribbon wrapped around the middle of it. She was wearing tight, black short shorts and a matching, tight, black shirt tucked into her shorts underneath her short brown vest that ended just below her chest. A Sewaddle sat on top of her hat. She sported brown gloves and a rope was wrapped at her waist, slung around a brown belt. She carried a brown bag around her shoulder. Her feet rested inside long black boots just past her ankles. "You're running out of time to answer my question, Mister PersonIDon'tThinkIKnowButIMightKnowButProbablyDon' tButIfIDidn'tKnowYouWhyWouldIApproachYouThinkingIK nowYouInTheFirstPlace."

Please, no, no, no, I thought in a panic.

"Time's up, sir," the woman said. "We can no longer be friends. 'Kay bye." She turned around and walked away from me.

People in the Pokemon Center were staring at me.

The woman turned around and walked back over to me.

I tried to back up away from her again, but I was already pressed up against the counter.

"I'll give you one more chance to answer me correctly, or else I am definitely judging you," she warned me. "I'm only giving you a second chance because I feel like I remember you. Do you like Bugs and Ghosts?"

"I like… Ghosts…" I answered feebly, weakly. "I'm afraid of Bugs…"

"I am totally judging you," she said with an attitude, crossing her arms. "That is just upsetting. Up. Se. Tting. Upsetting."

_NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! _I bellowed in my head. It's really her. It's her! _WHY?!_

"Gary? Do you know her?" June asked me quietly.

The woman gasped and smiled. "GARY! _That's _the name!"

Damn you, June, I thought bitterly. _DAMN YOU!_

"Gary, do you remember me? It's me, Kai!" Kai smiled.

I sighed and nodded. "Yes. I most certainly remember you."

"What are you doing here in Unova? This is where _I'm_ from! It's so great to see you!"

"Yeah, the feeling's totally mutual," I lied glumly, staring at the ground.

"You came here to see Emmett's butt, didn't you? You couldn't resist!" Kai accused.

"I did not come here to see any butts!" I exclaimed.

"Butts?" June asked quietly.

I turned to her with a scowl. "June, this is my… Um… This is Kai. Kai, this is my friend, June."

"Oh, hi," Kai replied, turning to June, and then she turned back to me. "Well, Emmett is in Nimbasa City. I was sent to work in Unova for a little while, so I came here to meet Burgh, first. Isn't he totally super kawaii?"  
"Super what now?" I asked.  
"Kawaii," she repeated.

"Uh, yeah, sure," I muttered. "I came here to battle his Bug gym, actually."

"Oh, well, you're silly," Kai responded. "You're totally gonna lose."

"Oh, really?" I said, getting angry. "We'll see about that. I'm going there right after my Pokemon are better."

"Pok. E. Mon. Pokemon," Kai mumbled, staring beyond me.

"Huh?" June said.

"Don't," I whispered to her, gently elbowing her side.

"Huh?" June asked me.  
"What?" Kai asked, looking at me.

"Nothing, we're just waiting for our Pokemon to get better," I told Kai.

"Do you have any other Bug type Pokemon with you?" Kai asked me seriously, crossing her arms.

"No, I don't," I replied.

"You have been judged," Kai said, frowning at me.

"Judged?" June asked.

"Shh," I shushed June.

"Yes, judged," Kai said, turning to June, and then she immediately turned back to me. "You released Butterfree, didn't you? I knew it! I knew you two weren't meant to be together. I _told_ you to just give her to me! You and I cannot be friends, ever!" She quickly turned and walked away from me.

"But, he didn't release her! Butterfree is at Prof. Oak's Lab with Gary's other Pokemon, other than the ones he's caught in Unova!" June called out to her.

My eyes popped open. "June!" I screamed at her angrily.

We had almost gotten rid of her. June and her big mouth!

"What did I do?" June asked me innocently.

Kai stopped and turned around, walking back to us. "Well, I'm still judging you for not keeping your Butterfree with you. I knew you didn't have her with you, so I was still right. It's clear as day that your relationship with her hasn't improved since we last met. _You are judged!_"

"But-" I tried.

She turned to June. "And what about you? Do you like Bugs and Ghost type Pokemon?"

"Um, well, I own a Ghost and a Bug type Pokemon, but my favorites are Electric types!" June smiled.

"Electric, eh? Hmph! Not good enough! You are judged!" She turned her back on us, and then immediately turned back around. "But, you own a Ghost and a Bug, so I give you two points for that. What are they?"

"Um, a Rotom and a Galvantula," June answered, scratching her head, staring at Kai cautiously.

"I have a Galvantula, too! He's so cool! And Rotom is a great Pokemon, too! All Bugs and Ghosts are!"

"Thanks!" June smiled again. "Um, what does it mean that I'm judged?"

"June," I growled at her. Why won't she just shut up so we can lose this crazy woman?

"It means I've judged you," Kai told June.

"What does that mean? Like, you have a bad opinion of me?" June asked.

"Yes. And you've been judged."

"I…" June started.

"Okay, so anyway, it was nice meeting you, Kai, but don't let us keep you," I interrupted. "You go on and meet Burgh, and then Emmett, and whoever the hell else is out there, and we'll meet you some other time since we'll be here for a while."

"Oh, I don't mind waiting at all," Kai waved at me. "I wanna meet this Galvantula she has. And her Rotom. And then, we can all go see Burgh together and bask in his kawaiiness."

I couldn't believe it. June was crazy enough for me to handle. We had just managed to shake loose one crazy person when Trixa left. Now, it seemed we were fated to not only meet one of the craziest people I'd ever known in my entire life, but she would also be accompanying us to my battle against Burgh.

I'd find out tomorrow that, comparatively, Kai was amongst the sane inside of Castelia City.

The three of us would learn that the hard way.


	15. Of Splice And Men Part 1 Of 2

"I'm telling you, you're gonna love Burgh. I promise," Kai told June's Galvantula excitedly, her own Galvantula standing close to June's. "Some say he's a bit strange, but in reality, he's a total sweetheart and absolutely _adores_ Bug types. I pretty much idolize him. I've never seen his butt, though. I'm pretty sure it can't compare with Emmett's, though. Emmet is soooooo cool. Like, oh my gosh, you can't even understand how he, like, _mmmmmmm!_" She let out a bizarre squeal as she raised her arms and brought them tightly together in front of her, shaking her head excitedly. "Emmett also has an adorable brother, Ingo! But Emmett is just too super kawaii! We absolutely _have_ to meet them both! But after Burgh! I want to meet Burgh, and all of his Pokemon, and absorb his body. 'Kay bye." Kai picked up her pace and walked ahead of the two Bug Pokemon.

The two Galvantula turned to each other and then moved quickly to keep up with Kai.

I turned to June, who was by my side.

June looked to me and shrugged her shoulders.

I wasn't eager to catch up with Kai and those two disgusting insects that were following her, but June jogged after Kai, and I picked up my pace very slightly.

It was the day after we had met Kai. She had talked nonstop to June and I back at the Pokemon Center. That was, until June and I got back our Pokemon. She insisted on seeing June's Bug and Ghost types, so June sent out her Galvantula and Rotom. Kai let out an explosive, joyful scream and she wrapped her arms around Galvantula. On her knees, she spoke to Galvantula eagerly, praising her, noting how well taken care of she looked, how bright the colors on her body were, and how healthy she appeared.

Galvantula enjoyed the attention and seemed to maneuver in a happy manner.

Kai got up and went over to Rotom, bouncing around it in circles, gaping at it in shock with an enormous smile on her face. She spoke on how spooky and yet adorable Rotom looked, and asked June how she had caught it. Before June could answer, Kai was talking up a storm again to Rotom.

Rotom seemed a little nervous by this woman's enthusiasm and flew over to June, hiding behind her, peeking from behind her head.

June spoke to Rotom, trying to comfort it, and Rotom spoke back, its body sparking, and it gently shocked June with electricity. June laughed and fell to her knees, her hair standing up high.

Kai watched this scene in awe until Rotom stopped shocking June, and then she carefully walked over to them.

June then explained that she likes when her Pokemon give her a jolt from their electricity, and that her and her Pokemon can communicate with one another.

Kai, stunned by this claim, inquired more about this, and June told her about how she could always speak to Pokemon, and hear their words. Kai had decided to send out a few of her own Pokemon, which included Galvantula, Dunsparce, a Butterfree she bragged to me about owning, reminding me that she didn't have one the last time we had met, and of course, Sewaddle.

June spoke to all of them, engaging in joyful conversation, the seven of them laughing with each other.

Kai watched in admiration.

I had backed up as far as humanly possible, watching the creepy insects from afar.

June and Kai's Galvantula seemed to get along well with each other, staying close by each other's side and glancing at one another on occasion. A spark zapped from both Pokemon every couple of minutes, meeting right above their bodies.

The happy occasion lasted all night, and eventually, we decided we'd go see Burgh tomorrow.

I didn't sleep happily that night. I hadn't intended on meeting Kai ever again for as long as I lived, and yet, somehow, June and I had managed to meet her in Unova, and now, she would be following us to meet Burgh. No way are we going to Nimbasa City, I told myself. If this Emmett guy is there, and Kai is going there to meet him, I'm totally not going there.

June turned in her bed in the room me, her, and Kai were sleeping in.

Kai had been mumbling in her sleep, nonstop, since she had fallen asleep.

I glared at her a little, turned my back on her, and closed my eyes.

Now, it was the next morning, and the three of us had finished eating breakfast in the cafeteria.

Kai insisted June keep her Galvantula out of her Poke Ball, and Kai kept hers out, too.

The two huge spiders stayed close to each other and Kai remained by them and began to speak to them about a ton of things, starting with who she was, how she met me, the adventures we had gone through when we were traveling together in Kanto, Bug Pokemon she's seen all over the world, her aspirations and work as a Pokemon Ranger, her desire to finally own a Capture Styler, which was a sign of a high ranking and well trusted Pokemon Ranger, something about a Casteliacone, and Emmett's butt.

As we all walked, a woman slowly crept by us wearing a long, blue coat reaching down to her black shoes, her long, black hair covering most of her disturbingly pasty white face. She was hunched over, a hump on her back reaching well over her head, but she looked to only be about thirty years old at the most. She didn't have a cane with her, and she wore sunglasses despite the lack of sun in the gloomy sky, the dark clouds promising rain.  
I squinted at her as she walked by. Weird, I thought to myself, remembering the pale, humpbacked man with sunglasses that I had run into when entering the Pokemon Center with June yesterday.

"This is it!" Kai shouted suddenly, stopping in her tracks.

The two Galvantula walked past Kai, stopping a couple of feet from her, and turned to look up at a strange building.

"This is the gym?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm sure of it! Look!" Kai pointed at a wooden post.

The sign read: _Castelia City Gym._

I looked back up at the building. It looked old and not well kept. Tree branches poked out of a couple of the broken windows of the three story building on every floor, vines hanging down. The white paint was peeling and chipped in some areas, looking filthy in other spots. The roof of the building wasn't on top of the building properly, leaning to the side a little bit.

"Come on! There's no time to waste! I'm coming, Burgh!" Kai yelled gleefully as she ran to the front door, grabbed the knob, and pushed the door open. She disappeared inside, the Galvantula duo following behind her.

June and I turned to each other, a nervous look on our faces.

With a sigh, I turned back to the building. "Let's just get this badge," I said, taking a deep breath. "Then, we can ditch this crazy chick and get out of this town."

"Don't be mean, Gary," June said, crossing her arms.

I rolled my eyes. "You can't be serious right now," I muttered, and walked towards the building. The moment I entered, my skin began to prickle from the sudden change in temperature.

The sound of water dripping rang out from several different areas of the room.

"Hey, it's warm in here," June commented.

I rubbed my arms and then removed my jacket. "Yeah, it is," I agreed. "It's pretty humid in here, actually."

"Muggy is a better word," June stated. "It's a bit gross, actually. And why is it so dark? I can't see too well in here."

A shrill shriek ahead of June and I made us both gasp in fright. "Kai!" we both called out, and ran ahead.

"YAAAH!" I screamed as a loud buzz rang through my right ear.

It sounded like a bee.

I swung in the direction of the buzz frantically, but kept on running through the darkness, squinting to see my way.

The room we were in looked crowded with materials, but I couldn't quite make out what they were as we ran deeper into the room. I could make out splashes of random colors here and there in the room, but they were small and almost unnoticeable. Trees lined the entire gym as far as I could see, reaching high up to the ceiling, a few webs on some of the branches. The ground seemed to be made entirely of dirt.

"Kai?" I called out as I spotted a figure several feet away from us.

June and I stopped in front of the person.

"Bugs!" the person cried happily, and turned to face us.

"Huh?" I asked, squinting at Kai. "Bugs?"

"Yeah! Bugs! Everywhere!" Kai screamed with delight. "This entire place is a bug haven! The temperature, the moisture, the darkness… The entire atmosphere is designed for _bugs!_"

I frantically looked around me and realized within seconds that Kai was right.

The spider webs in the trees contained shadows. Shadows with multiple, skinny legs.

I turned around and squinted hard at the objects near us. Tables and chairs, all were covered in dust and webs.

What is that? I wondered as I looked at a circular object that hung from a tree branch.

A fluttering creature flew in front of my face, and I screamed in a panic, backing up, batting my hands in my face. "I've had enough!" I screamed angrily, embarrassed. "I want out of here!" I looked around, unsure of where I was in the dark, wondering where the way out was.

"But we haven't seen Burgh, yet!" Kai complained.

"I'm not too convinced anyone lives here anymore," June said uncertainly, her voice getting quiet with noticeable fear.

"He has to! This is the gym," Kai insisted.

"I don't care what this place is. I want to go!" I said impatiently.

Loud buzzing noises filled my ears and I felt several, tiny creatures bump into my face.

"_FFFFRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!_" I bellowed in a rage, rubbing at my face and backing up, stumbling into something behind me. I looked down at the dusty table I was now sitting on and saw something looking back at me.

_A big spider!_ It cried out to me, reaching for me.

I screamed like a maniac and leaped off of the table, running.

"Aww! A Spinarak!" I heard Kai say lovingly.

I didn't give a damn what it was. I ran away from it, swiping at cobwebs in the way, running to where I hoped was the exit. I hoped with all my heart that I was running fast in the right direction. I hadn't been running for too long before I saw something that made me freeze.

Something gigantic hung from the ceiling. A light shone down upon the object that resembled a white ball of yarn.

I squinted up at it. "What in the world is that?" I whispered in horror.

Footsteps ran after me, stopping near me.

"What is that?" June asked, a nervous tone in her voice.

"It looks like some kind of cocoon," Kai stated in amazement.

"That thing is bigger than a human," I said, my heart beating quickly. "It can't be a cocoon… Right?"

"I have to get a closer look!" Kai said, mesmerized by the object, and she walked closer to it until she was directly underneath it. She reached up towards the object, but she wasn't even close to reaching it, even when she jumped up.

The two Galvantula walked away from June and I, but stopped several feet away from Kai, looking up at the large thing.

"Kai, please, be careful!" June said cautiously. She turned to me. "Gary, maybe we should get out of here."

"I've been saying that for a little while now," I said, furrowing my eyebrows. "This thing wasn't by the entrance, so let's just head in the opposite direction."

"Good point," June nodded, and then she turned to Kai. "Kai! Come with us. We're leaving."

"I can't leave! I have to see what this thing is! This object is the work of some kind of insect, I think." Kai kept jumping, trying to touch the strange object.

"Just leave her," I muttered impatiently, my heart thumping at Kai's words. "She can stay here and find Burgh on her own. That's not our concern. We can't make her come with us. Please, June. Please. Can we just go?" I pleaded to June with my eyes, begging her to come with me.

June looked at me, and then turned back to Kai, hesitantly looking back to me. She sighed. "I'd feel bad if we just left Kai like this."

"She wants to stay here," I insisted. "She isn't traveling with us. She's just here to meet Burgh, and he doesn't seem to be here. We'll come back for her if we find Burgh. She'll be happy here, anyway. All of these nas-" I screamed as a loud buzz rang in my ear and something landed on my cheek. I swatted it away and spun around in a furious circle. "I've had about enough of these f-"

A loud noise from the cocoon grabbed my attention, and I turned with a start as it exploded!

"BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" a huge creature burst from the cocoon, screaming. It was a spider!

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" June and I shrieked in fright.

I turned to run, but the spider, the size of an adult human, landed on my back, forcing me to the ground, hard. I cushioned the landing on the dirt ground with my arms and struggled under the weight of the heavy insect. "_Get it off of meeeeeee!_" I screeched as loud as I could, terrified.

"Who are you?!" June screamed at the bug.

The bug on top of me hissed at June.

A sharp pain stung the back of my neck as the spider bit me.

I screamed loudly, tensing up my neck, waiting for the venom to sink in and kill me in a slow, painful death.

"What are you doing?" June called to the spider in a scared voice. "Get off of him!"

Footsteps approached me and I opened my eyes as the steps stopped near my face.

Kai's black boots met my peripheral. "Hey, wait a minute!" Kai said happily. "You must be Burgh! We found you! How did you build that cocoon? Oh my goodness, this is a dream come true! You're amazing!"

"_WHAT?!_" I turned my neck around and looked up into the face of some kind of creature.

"That's Burgh?" June gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

The creature raised two pale hands to its face and pushed aside its hair, revealing its face.

I gasped in fright.

It _was_ a man! But not a visibly sane one. He stood up, removing himself from me, and I could see he wore an all brown, tattered outfit, including a cape on his back. The cape was cut up, and at first glance, in the dark, after he had burst from his cocoon, the cape had spread out and fluttered behind him, making it appear that he had multiple brown arms, like a spider. His face looked like it hadn't been cleaned properly, shaved, nor seen the light of day in months, if not longer, his eyes sunken deep into his face, the skin on his face looking tired, old, and scary, smudges of dirt all over it, stubs of hair all over his cheeks, a messy beard under his nose. His arms fell to his side, and his long, brown hair covered his face again.

I got to my feet quickly, backing away from the man.

We both stared at each other silently.

I swallowed nervously.

"Burgh! Burgh! Burgh!" Kai cried, bouncing up to Burgh.

Burgh turned to her and hissed, raising his arms in the air.

June gasped in surprise.

Kai laughed. "It's really you! Burgh! Can I look at your butt? Please? I even have a camera with me!" Kai tapped her bag with a wide smile. "Just one picture. Come on. Please?"  
"Kai, cut it out," I whispered to her.

Kai didn't seem to hear me. "So, how about it?" She opened her bag and dug around in it. "I know I brought it with me.

"Kai, please," June whispered, slowly approaching Kai and gently grabbing her shoulders, trying to pull her back.

"Get off of me!" Kai struggled, freeing herself from June. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

I took a slow step back.

Burgh turned to me, making me freeze in place.

Wow. When Kai said he was a bit weird, that sure was an understatement, I thought. This guy is crazy! "Um, it was nice meeting you, but I think me and June are going to leave," I blurted out. "You can enjoy your time with Kai. Come on, June!" I stumbled backwards fast, but stumbled over a chair, landing hard on the ground. "Oooww!" I moaned painfully as I grabbed on the filthy chair and stumbled to my feet.

Burgh advanced on me quickly.

"Found it!" Kai exclaimed, pulling out a shiny black camera, waving it in the air.

"Kai, this isn't the time!" June yelled.

My breathing picked up as I struggled for air in the humid room, my face feeling filthy with perspiration and dirt. "Wait!"

Burgh didn't stop as he got closer, extending his arms out for my throat, a low hiss, quickly getting louder, escaping from him.

"GO!" I yelled, and before I knew what I was doing, I through a Poke Ball at Burgh.

The Poke Ball opened and out came my Drilbur.

"Drilburrrrr!" Drilbur exclaimed, facing Burgh.

Burgh stopped in his tracks and looked down at my Pokemon. He slowly reached up with his hands and parted his hair, staring solemnly at Drilbur.

Drilbur looked back at him, and after a couple of minutes, turned back to me, and then looked back at Burgh.

Burgh slowly lifted his eyes up to me and quietly stared at me.

"I-" I stopped talking, breathing heavily, and then, "I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

Burgh stared at me without saying a word. His face showed no real emotion. His eyes went back down to Drilbur, and then they looked up at me.

I looked around the room nervously, unsure of what was going on.

Burgh's arms dropped, and his hair fell over his face as he backed away from me several feet. "A three-versus-three Pokemon battle," he mumbled in a voice I barely understood.

"Huh?" I said, more in shock than from not hearing him clearly. "Yes! Fine! Three-on-three is fine for me!"

Burgh nodded. He raised one arm and pointed it at Drilbur. "Scolipede!"

A rumble made me look around, and before I knew it, a large Bug appeared from the darkness, stampeding up to Drilbur. It stopped right in front of him.

Drilbur stood his ground as he faced his exceptionally tall opponent.

_**Scolipede. The Megapede Pokemon and the final stage of Venipede. This Pokemon is extraordinarily quick, especially when properly raised. Coming into contact with this Pokemon can lead to a lethal poisoning.**_

So is that all for the rules? I wondered. Three on three? Is there a time limit? Can he and I both switch Pokemon? Does it not matter? Something buzzed by my ear, and I ducked down in a panic, swinging my hand at my ear. Screw it! I thought angrily. I just want out of here! "Alright! Drilbur, use Earthquake, now!" I ordered.

Drilbur leaped into the air with a strong cry and landed on the ground, quaking the gym.

Burgh stumbled around as the floor cracked and split, a line where the ground was splitting headed right for Scolipede.

Scolipede was thrown off of its feet as the line reached it.

I dropped to my knees against the strong attack.

"Scolipede, come on! You can do it! Get up!" Kai urged on Scolipede.

"Hey!" I yelled at Kai.

"What?" Kai shot back, glaring at me.

"Go, Drilbur! You're doing great!" June clapped on for my Drilbur. She turned to me and smiled.

I let out a sigh and looked away from her. I just wanted to get out of here. I didn't really care who cheered for who.

Scolipede got back up, shaking its head.

"Poison Tail," Burgh said in his low voice.

Scolipede's tail glowed purple, and it ran quickly, whipping its body around and smacking Drilbur with its tail.

Drilbur rolled around on the ground, his eyes closed in pain, and finally stopped, laying on his back. His cheeks were a deep purple.

"Drilbur's Poisoned!" Kai applauded. "Finish it off now, Burgh! DO IT! DO IT!"

I growled, glaring at Drilbur. "Get up! Use Earthquake again!"

"Venoshock," Burgh muttered.

Drilbur shook his head, trying to focus on attacking, and he leaped into the air.

Scolipede sprayed a green glob at Drilbur as Drilbur slammed into the ground, rocking the field and throwing Scolipede to the ground again.

Drilbur screamed out in pain as he was coated in the disgusting looking attack that oozed over him.

"That's it!" Kai shouted with joy. "Venoshock does double the damage if the Pokemon taking damage is already Poisoned. Drilbur is done and Scolipede wins!"

"Will you shut up?" I screamed at her. "I'm trying to pay attention here!"

"Don't be mad because you're not kawaii like Burgh and his Bugs. You're gonna lose. You're one Pokemon down." Kai stuck her tongue out at me.

"No! Not yet! Look!" June pointed at the battle.

Drilbur was sitting on the ground, breathing heavily, looking exhausted, but not yet beaten.

Scolipede was on its side, not moving.

"Scolipede is out, not Drilbur!" June declared. "HA!"

"We won?" I asked in disbelief. "We won! Yes! Drilbur, you did great!"

"Drilbur…" Drilbur gasped with exhaustion.

"_Noooooooooo!_" Kai shrieked in anger. "You idiot! How dare you! You are _soooooo_ judged now! Just you watch!"

Burgh was looking down at his Scolipede. He stepped up to his Pokemon and bent down. A low whisper could be heard from Burgh.

Scolipede stirred and stood up. It shook its head and then lowered it sadly before it slowly crawled away, disappearing into the darkness and trees.

Burgh returned to his spot and pointed at my exhausted Drilbur. "Shelmet."

Something leaped from the branches of one of the trees and landed in front of Drilbur with a cry.

_**Shelmet. The Snail Pokemon. Shelmet protects itself by hiding in its shell from predators, not being the fastest of Pokemon, and can attack as a defense by spitting a poisonous, sticky liquid.**_

"Drilbur, hang in there and let's try the Fury Swipes!" I told him.

Drilbur got up, shaking his head hard, and his claws glowed white as he leaped at Shelmet.

"Protect," Burgh said just above a whisper.

A turquoise shield appeared in front of Shelmet, protecting it from the Fury Swipes attack as Shelmet closed its shell around its body.

Drilbur landed and flinched in pain from the Poison.

"Hm. Then use Slash attack!" I said.

"Protect," Burgh repeated.

Drilbur swiped at Shelmet with one glowing claw, hitting it hard.

"Shelmet!" Shelmet cried out as the attack hit it, forcing it back.

"There we go!" I said happily. "Using Protect once guarantees it will work, but if you keep using it, the chances of it working are reduced every time it actually activates consecutively."

"I think Burgh knows that already, Gary!" Kai said rudely. "You're gonna lose, _and_ you're getting judged, _and_ I'm totally getting pictures of myself with Burgh's butt and his Bug Pokemon after this battle is over. 'Kay bye."

"Why are you so obsessed with people's butts?" June asked Kai.

"No, not people's. Just Emmett's. And Burgh's. And Grimsely's," Kai replied.

"Grimsley?" June asked.

"_Shut up!_" I yelled at them furiously.

They both turned to me, eyes wide, and kept quiet.

"Drilbur, use Hone Claws!"

Drilbur swiped his claws together as they glowed white and he increased his Accuracy and Attack strength.

"Giga Drain," Burgh spoke.

Shelmet's body inside of its shell glowed a bright, light green, and a beam fired out at Drilbur.

Drilbur cried out helplessly as the Giga Drain sapped his energy, and he collapsed to the floor.

"YES! TAKE THAT!" Kai yelled. "Now your Drilbur is out, and Shelmet's energy is restored!"

June sighed. "She's right. Shelmet wins."

"That was great battling, Drilbur. You deserve this rest." I returned Drilbur to his Poke Ball and instantly sent out my second Pokemon. "Pidove!"

"Pidove!" Pidove cried, flapping his wings, staying afloat.

"Alright, Quick Attack!" I said.

"Protect," Burgh spoke.

Pidove's Quick Attack was fast, but not quick enough, and he ended up bouncing off of Shelmet's Protect.

"Bide," Burgh told Shelmet.

Bide? That gives me a few turns to attack before it can send back all the damage I delivered, I thought. That's reckless! "Use your Air Cutter!" I demanded.

Shelmet's body was outlined in white.

Pidove's wings wrapped around his body and then opened wide, several 'X' shaped, light blue bits of energy, flying from his body and slamming into Shelmet.

Shelmet flashed white where the attacks hit him, signaling a Critical Hit.

"Air Cutter, once again!"

Pidove attacked once more, Shelmet's body flashing white where it was hit, showing that once again, the hit was Critical.

Shelmet groaned in pain as it closed its eyes against the attack.

"Do it one more time, Pidove!" I yelled.

Pidove attacked again with Air Cutter, and Shelmet let out a scream of pain as it was tossed back and collapsed to the ground.

"Pidove did it!" June shouted, leaping in the air repeatedly.

"Yes! Pidove, good job. Just one more Pokemon to go!" I told Pidove.

Pidove flapped his wings and cried out with joy.

"That was so unfair! You did the same move over and over!" Kai complained. "O. Ver. Over." Kai stared at me blankly for a moment. "A little bit longer, and you would have been finished," she finally spoke, her glare returning. "I hope you don't think you've won, because Burgh is about to come through with the surprise of your life! Burgh just can't lose! Burgh, you can't lose! You can do it!"

Burgh approached his Bug Pokemon and knelt down, petting its body gently, whispering words to it.

Shelmet's eyes opened, and it stood up, looking up at Burgh. It nodded and walked out of view.

Burgh returned to his spot and once more, he pointed. "Karrablast."

"Karrablaaaaast!" A tiny little creature flew from the darkness, taking me by surprise.

"Whoa!" I said in surprise at the Bug.

_**Karrablast. The Clamping Pokemon. It is small in size, but big on energy and delivers a surprising blow to its opponents, taking on foes of all sizes.**_

"Alright, Quick Attack!" I said.

Pidove flew at Karrablast, toppling it over.

"Now, use Gust attack!"

"Slash," Burgh mumbled.

Karrablast ran towards Pidove, the top of its sharp head glowing white, but was blown back as Pidove flapped his wings as Karrablast leaped into the air. Karrablast tumbled on the ground, leaping back up, eagerly hopping on the ground.

"Air Cutter!" I shouted quickly.

The Super Effective hit took Karrablast by surprise, evident by the look on its face as it stumbled back, struggling to continue battling.

"Swords Dance," Burgh said.

Karrablast's head glowed purple and it did a rapid spin on the ground, causing a little wind to blow through the field. It stopped and cried out, "Karrablast!" at Pidove.

"Yes! That's the spirit, Karrablast!" Kai encouraged it.

"Pidove, be careful!" I warned him. "Let's end this with Quick Attack!"

"Endure," Burgh instructed Karrablast quietly.

Pidove soared down for Karrablast and slammed into it.

Karrablast growled strongly, holding onto Pidove as best as it could, resisting the hit that should have taken it out.

"Yes! Endure! Burgh always has a way around things!" Kai said confidently.

"Pidove, another Quick Attack!" I told him. I knew that Endure worked like Protect. The more times it works, the less chance it has of working the next time.

"Pidove…" Pidove looked around, ignoring Karrablast. He looked down at the ground and pecked it gently.

"Pidove?" I screamed, shocked. "_NOW?_ _NOW?!_"

Of all the times for Pidove to be forgetful, _now_ was not the time!

"Oh, no," June whispered, raising a hand to cover her face.

"HA! It won't even obey him!" Kai laughed. "How very sad. Oh, if you thought you were being judged before, the judgment has arrived, now!" She laughed at me.

I grit my teeth and glared at her.

"Slash," I heard Burgh say.

I turned around to see Karrablast swipe at Pidove with its glowing head.

Pidove slid along the ground and remained still, stunned by the hit.

"Slash."

Karrablast hit Pidove with another Slash.

This hit was shown to be a Critical Hit as Pidove flashed white where he was hit in the neck, soaring through the air, and he landed at my feet.

"Pidove! Can you get up? We're just one hit away from a win!" I called down to my forgetful bird Pokemon. "Quick Attack!"

Pidove gave a brave, determined face as he used his wings to push himself back up, shaking hard. He turned around to Karrablast. "Pidoooooove!" he shouted.

"Yeah! Now let's do this! Quick Attack!"

Pidove let out an angry cry and soared towards Karrablast with stunning speed.

"Finish it off!" I shouted happily. "Do it!"

"Endure," Burgh said.

Karrablast braced itself for the hit.

Pidove got closer.

"Karraaaaa…" Karrablast said, eyeing Pidove.

Pidove suddenly slowed down and gently landed on the ground. He looked up at the ceiling then soared away from Karrablast, landing on one of the tree branches nearby. He gently cooed.

I fell to my knees in shock, staring at Pidove. Is this thing kidding me right now? I thought with a mix of fury and surprise, unsure of how to react.

"Slash," was Burgh's next word.

Karrablast ran away from Burgh and leaped high into the air, its head glowing white, and it slashed Pidove, knocking him right out of the tree.

Pidove dropped with a loud, long scream, and he hit the floor.

"My Pidove!" I ran to my Pokemon and scooped him up in my arms.

"Doooove…" he moaned weakly.

I sighed and closed my eyes. "What am I gonna do with you, Pidove?" I grabbed his Poke Ball. "Thank you for your assistance. I mean it." I returned him to his Poke Ball and went back to where I had run from.

"Only one more Pokemon to go," Kai said smugly.

"That's right," June agreed, turning to Kai. "Only one more to go."

Kai shot June a dirty look. "Your boyfriend is totally not going to win."

"She isn't my girlfriend!" I growled at her as I grabbed my last Poke Ball. "Go, Cottonee!"

"Cooottonee!" he said as he appeared from his Poke Ball.

"Cottonee, use Stun Spore, now!"

"Cooottoneeeeee!" Cottonee's body shook off a golden powder onto Karrablast, and feisty Bug type was Paralyzed, struggling to move, in pain.

Karrablast continued to shake while Burgh watched on. Suddenly, Karrablast's skin began to shake, hard, and it slid from off of its body!

I gasped in surprise.

"Shed Skin Ability," June and Kai said in unison, Kai happily, June seriously.

"It heals the Status of a Pokemon," June continued.

The skin of Karrablast fell off from its body and turned a deathly white, and Karrablast stepped from its shed skin, looking brand new, fresh skin on its body, but still tired, breathing hard. "Karrablast!"

"Bug Buzz," Burgh told his Pokemon.

"Leech Seed!" I said.

Cottonee moved first and a seed flew from his head, landed on Karrablast, and vines wrapped around the Bug type, sapping its energy.

Karrablast fell to the ground and struggled in pain. "Karrablast…" The seed and vines around it vanished in the next instant. Karrablast was beaten.

"ALRIGHT!" I screamed with joy.

Kai shrieked as if she were being stabbed.

June cheered happily.

I ran towards Cottonee and wrapped my arms around him. "We did it, Cottonee! We did it! Yes! YES! We won!"

"Coooottoneee!" Cottonee cried.

I hugged Cottonee tightly, enjoying the feel of his soft body in my arms and against my face. "Badge number three!" I sighed as I released him. "And most importantly, I can finally get away from these bugs!" I laughed. "Thank you, Cottonee!"

"Cottonee!" Cottonee nodded happily.

I turned to Burgh.

He was standing still, looking down at his Karrablast.

"Well, I won, Burgh," I called to him. "I'll be taking my badge now and getting out of here, please."

"We are totally not friends anymore, Gary!" Kai screamed at me, and stormed over to Burgh. "Don't worry, Burgh. I support you until the end. Gary's totally not cool!"

"Ugh. Do you have to be such a sore sport?" June said angrily to Kai. "I mean, I understand supporting your favorite person, but why do you have to be like this?"

"Because," Kai said, crossing her arms, glaring at June.

"Because why?" June demanded.

"'Cause reasons," Kai answered, turning away from June and facing Burgh.

"Huh? Reasons? What reasons?" June asked in confusion.

"Reasons," Kai said shortly.

"Can I have my badge, please, sir?" I interrupted impatiently.

Burgh hadn't moved from his spot, still seeming to be eyeing his Karrablast, although it was hard to tell with his hair blocking his face.

Karrablast finally opened its eyes and got up. It turned to Burgh and stared at him.

Burgh seemed to be looking back.

Karrablast then ran off into the darkness.

I turned to Burgh, who now had his head up, facing my direction.

A nervous feeling swept over my body, and I swallowed.

Something wasn't right here.

I cleared my throat. "I won fair and square," I said, my voice not as loud or strong as I had wanted it to be. "May I please have my badge, sir."

"If he doesn't want to give you it, there's nothing you can do about it," Kai said, sticking her tongue out at me.

Something flew by my face and I cried out in surprise. "Fine!" I said angrily. "I just want out of here!" I turned around to leave. "Come on, June!" I only got one step.

"Badge?" a low voice spoke.

I froze, my heart beating quickly. "I said forget it," my voice shook. "I don't want your badge. Thanks for the battle." I took another couple of steps.

"I have no badge for you," Burgh spoke, his voice coming out slightly louder.

His voice made me freeze. "That's fine." My voice continued to quiver. Burgh was terrifying me with his low, slow, creepy tone of voice. I took another couple of steps forward.

"I am not a Gym Leader."

His last statement made me freeze again. I swallowed.

"I haven't been a Gym Leader in years."

My heart was in my throat at this point, and no amount of swallowing was forcing it back down.

"I am…not even human anymore. I am an insect," Burgh spoke, his voice lowering to where I wasn't sure I had heard him correctly. "I haven't been a, _human_, in so long…"

My eyes widened. I have to get out of here, I realized, and made a mad dash forward.

I heard a loud cry from either June or Kai, and then a definite, pained cry from June.

My feet carried me faster, into the darkness. I couldn't see where the exit, or anything, was. The darkness, trees, dusty furniture, cobwebs and spider webs were everywhere. I swung at the vines and webs hanging close to my face as I struggled to escape the building, the buzzing of multiple insects ringing through my ears, the bugs touching my face as I smacked at them. All kinds of bugs and Bug Pokemon swung by me as I ran past, crying out, hissing, terrifying me as I punched at them, frightened not to touch them, but desperate to keep them away from me.

June. Kai, I thought as I ran. I have to get help. I need to get to-

I heard a strange noise.

Owww… I thought to myself groggily, my head throbbing in pain.

I was surrounded by blackness everywhere.

The strange noise, so close to me, was heard again.

"Gary?" I heard a voice say near me.

I tried to turn towards the noise, groaning, and at that moment, I realized that the strange noise was me groaning. My body felt strange. Restricted. Tight. "Ugh…" I groaned, and slowly, my eyes began to open. "Ugh…" I closed them against the sudden light that was in them.

"Gary! Are you okay? It's me, June! Kai is with us, too!"

"Huh?" I opened my eyes and squinted in the light, trying to turn around to see June.

"Gary, please, relax. Try not to panic, okay?" June told me, her voice struggling to remain calm, but fear was obvious in her voice.

"What's going on?" I groaned painfully, my head throbbing.

"It looks like we're in a spider's web," Kai's voice explained. "We're wrapped up really good, too. I mean, really good! This is amazing work. I wonder if Burgh designed this web."

"_WHAT?!_" my eyes shot open and I tried to sit up, but I was unable to move very much. I looked down and gasped. My entire body was wound up in some kind of white fabric, from my feet up to right below my neck! "WHAT IS THIS?" I screamed in a panic, struggling hard.

"Gary, please! Relax!" June begged.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" I screamed as loud as I could in a panic.

"We don't know!" June screamed, her voice getting high with fear. "Don't rock the damn thing! You might attract whatever made it! Or whoever…"

I stopped struggling and started breathing harder, my heart feeling as if it were stabbing into my chest repeatedly like a blade. "H-h-how did I get here? Are you two stuck like this, two?" I turned my neck, and several feet away, I could see June to the right of me, wrapped up exactly like me. I could also see that the two of us were on an enormous spider web.

The walls and ceiling of the room we were in were gray. Looking down, I could see that beneath us was a far drop down to a gray floor.

"Yes, we are," Kai answered me.

I moved around to try and see her, but I couldn't spot her anywhere.

"Don't worry, I'm here, Gary," Kai said calmly. "Spiders rarely attack humans unless disturbed. I wouldn't be too worried about attracting spiders. Maybe we'll meet Burgh!"

"Did _he_ put us here?" I shouted angrily.

"I don't remember," June admitted quietly. "My head hurts and my memory is kind of undependable right now. I hardly even remember your battle with him. But my guess is that Burgh definitely put us in this web."

I closed my eyes and struggled to remember the last thing that happened to me before waking up here. The only thing that came to mind was angrily turning my back on Burgh to leave his gym without his badge. And then… My eyes shot open with a gasp. "Does that guy really think he's a _bug?_"

"Insect, not bug," Kai corrected me.

June gasped. "I remember that, now!"

"He's completely nuts!" I shouted. "He said he hasn't been a Gym Leader in ages? What's going on here?" I realized that it was noticeably cooler in this room then where we had been when I had battled Burgh. The air wasn't humid and it was easier to breathe here.

"We need-" June stopped talking. She let out a sudden, loud shriek. "_HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!_"

"June! What's wrong? June!" I called out to her.

"June? What is it?" Kai called.

"_SPIDERRRRRRR!_ _Big, SPIDERRRRRR!_"

"_No! No! NOOOOOOO!_" I screamed, and panicked, struggling hard in the web, unable to control my fear. Not bugs. Anything but bugs! I screamed in my head.

"Oh, wow! Look! Tarantulas!" Kai said pleasantly. "Hello, little ones!"

I stopped struggling, afraid to move, not wanting to draw attention from the spiders, but my skin was now crawling, and I couldn't tell if it was because of the spiders on me, or just me being disgusted.

"You're a brown recluse, also referred to as the violin spider, Loxosceles reclusa, in the family, Sicariidae!" Kai said. "Burgh sure has a nice collection of spiders!"

I felt something in my hair. I wasn't imagining this. Tiny legs crawled on my neck, up my jeans, and moved along my arms.

I didn't want to scream.

I didn't want to struggle.

Everything inside of me told me to remain calm and to not move.

I heard June's bloodcurdling scream.

I heard Kai name more species of spiders as they filed in from who knows where.

A huge spider's body walked in front of my eyes, on my face.

"Uh, oh. This isn't good," I heard Kai say loudly over June's screams. "That's a louse, in the family of Phthiraptera. As a lover of _all _bugs, I must say, lice are no good in this situation."

It was more than June's screams.

It was more than the huge spider walking along my face.

It was more than Kai letting me know that there were lice running around, now.

It was a combination of everything we had gone through since we entered Burgh's old gym.

I shook my head like a maniac, flinging the spider off of my face.

I struggled my body as hard as I possibly could against the web.

I opened my mouth wide.

I screamed as loud as humanly possible.


	16. Of Splice And Men Part 2 Of 2

My mouth was probably wider than it had ever been in my entire life as I screamed my head off, terrified of the spiders that I could feel crawling all over my body.

According to Kai, there were lice around here, too.

I felt like I couldn't breathe anymore, but I opened my mouth and somehow screamed, long, loud, until my voice ached and was sore and dying for water.

June's screaming tore through my eardrums.

Even Kai seemed to be calling out for help.

A scream escaped my throat one more time as I felt tiny legs running across my stomach. "_HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLP!_"

A strange cry rang out amongst the screams.

Before I could remember what the familiar noise was, "_AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"_ A painful shock tore through my body.

Kai screamed as well, but I didn't hear June.

My body twitched in pain, and I laid against the web, drained of my energy.

"Galvantula?" June cried.

"Galvantula!" I heard the familiar cry of the electricity slinging spider.

The web shook as something moved across it.

My entire body was tingling from the feel of the bugs and a different kind of stunned, twitchy pain. Something walked by my head and I gasped when I saw the enormous spider walk by me.

"Galvantula!" Galvantula said happily, waving her creepy feeler looking appendages at June.

June laughed, her eyes filled with tears. "Galvantula! I can't believe you're here! What are you doing here?"

Galvantula spoke to June, June's eyes widening, her smile broadening.

"Oh, Galvantula! Thank you! You kept a cool head and handled everything perfectly! Now, I need you to free Gary and Kai and me by using your Slash attack!" June ordered.

Galvantula raised one of her appendages as it glowed white, and she swiped down at June, freeing her instantly from the web around her.

June stood up carefully, stumbling around on the web, her foot getting stuck on the sticky surface every couple of steps. She fell at one point, landing next to Galvantula, and pulled her into a big hug. "Thank you, honey. You were wonderful! Now, please, help our friends." She turned to Kai and I and pointed at us. "Go!"

Galvantula disappeared from view as she went to free Kai as June stood up, shaking her coat, pants legs, and hair, hard, dead insects falling from her. I felt the web move as Galvantula walked over to me and raised her claw to Slash at me, too.

"Easy!" I screamed in fear, and closed my eyes.

"Galvantula!" She sliced away my webbing with one swipe.

I got to my feet immediately, frantically shaking out my clothes, running my hands through my hair, the dead insects falling from them, and only stopped when I was sure I was sure they were all out of there, although my skin continued to crawl as if insects were creeping all over every part of my body continuously. Rubbing my arms rapidly, I faced the spider Pokemon. "Galvantula. You saved us."

"She was with Burgh, with your Galvantula, Kai," June explained. "When Burgh attacked us, they knew they were outnumbered. Burgh tried to convince them to be with him, free of Poke Balls and humans. Galvantula told me that they both went along with Burgh, pretending to be on his side. They helped Burgh put us in this web, and then my Galvantula went back for us while your Galvantula was distracting him. Burgh has a really evil plan, but I don't know what it is."

I stared down at the enormous spider that had saved our lives as I continued to rub the goose bumps on my arms, trying to stop the creeping feeling running up and down on them.

"So, my Galvantula is okay, too?" Kai asked with worry.

"Galvantula!" Galvantula nodded.

"Yay! I knew he'd be okay!" she cried joyously, and then she looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I wonder what's gotten into Burgh. I knew he was a bit weird, but this sure is a surprise. Sur. Prise. Surprise."

"Right now, I'm just really grateful that Galvantula shocked the web and killed all of those nasty things down there," June pointed.

I gazed down, past the web, to the gray floor where a large collection of bugs had fallen through, fried from Galvantula's attack.  
"There's nothing nasty about them," Kai defended angrily. "They're living beings, like you and I. Don't speak down to them like that, or else, I'll be judging you. In fact, too late. You are hereby judged!" Kai crossed her arms.

I ignored her and turned back to Galvantula, still rubbing my arms. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Galvantula," I managed to say as I looked into her many eyes, my heart pounding rapidly. "I have no idea how to properly thank you."

"Galvantula!" Galvantula cried happily.

I stared at her, my heart beating faster than before. This Bug, saved my life, I thought. I couldn't find the proper words to describe how I felt inside, and before I knew it, my hand was rising, reaching out for Galvantula, slowly.

"Galvantulaaaa!" she cried, and her appendages waves towards me joyfully.

"_Whoa! Aaugh!_" I screamed, stumbling backwards in fright. My leg got stuck on the web, and I fell through a large hole, screaming. My foot remained stuck on the web as I swung back and forth, dangling upside down, the blood rushing to my head, looking at the bug covered ground beneath me.

"Gary! Are you okay?" June called down to me.

"That's what you get for being so ungrateful to a Bug who just saved you," Kai said snottily.

"Hey! I see a door!" I called up to the girls.

"A door?" June repeated.

"That's right! It's open! Maybe this is where Galvantula crawled in from! We might be able to get out of here!"

"How do we get down?" June asked.

"We can use-" Kai paused in the middle of her sentence. "My bag! It's gone!"

There was a moment of silence before June screamed, "My bag is gone, too! Where is my bag? My Pokemon!"

Immediately, I reached for my belt, gasping soon after as I discovered that my Poke Balls weren't attached to it.

"Galvantula! Galvantula!" Galvantula said.

"Galvantula says that Burgh took our Pokemon, too. He took my bag, Kai's bag, and Gary's Poke Balls and bag."

"Can we figure out a way down from here and discuss this?" I asked, starting to feel lightheaded.

"Right! Galvantula, use String Shot!" June ordered.

Galvantula rocked the web as she squeezed through the hole. She let herself down to the ground, sliding past me smoothly, a thin, white thread coming from her rear, attached to the web above her. She landed on the ground and looked up at us.

"YEEHAAAAA!" Kai cried as she slid down the rope quickly, landing on the ground with a cheerful grin.

June carefully hung onto the thread as she slid down, joining Kai on the ground.

I stared down at the ground. So many bugs, I thought fearfully as I looked at the ground full of dead insects. Even dead, insects terrified me. Insects in general were absolutely sickening and disgusting to me, but I had to get down from here. I was starting to feel really sick from my head, to my throat, to my stomach. Reaching out for the thread with a grunt, pulled my foot free from the web and soon was right side up, sliding to the ground, unable to slow down as I dropped fast towards the insects. A scream ripped from my throat, and before I knew it, I had landed on the carcasses of dead bugs, several of them jumping into the air as I landed on them. "Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! _Ew! Ew!_" I freaked out, jumping around frantically, brushing off my clothes with both of my hands, and I leaped through the door.

June, Kai, and Galvantula followed me, watching as I frantically wiped at my clothes.

I'm in desperate need of a shower, I told myself as I removed my jacket and shook it hard before slinging it over my shoulder. The temperature had risen the moment we got through the door, and it was now too hot for me in this area of the building to be wearing my jacket. "Alright. Now, let's get out of here." I looked around at the room we were in, but to my surprise, I only saw a stairway with a stairs leading down.

The four of us looked at each other, and without another word, we tore down the stairs. We landed on the floor below us and stopped in front of a door, barely visible in the dark, a set of stairs leading further down.

I wiped sweat from my forehead, feeling sweat slide down my chest, to my stomach, as I panted. This is a three story building, I remembered. Freedom is one flight away. "We're almost out of here!" I said, running, taking a few steps down the stairs.

"Galvantula!" Galvantula cried, running past me quickly by running along the wall, and she landed on the stairs, turning around to face me, blocking my path.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I yelled in surprise, my heart beating in fear.

"Galvantula! Galvantula!" Galvantula said.

"She says we can't leave," June interpreted.

"Why?" I cried out in a panicked voice, not taking my eyes off of Galvantula.

"This floor has something," June said, and I turned around to see her open the door on the second floor.

I squinted hard as I saw light flood from the room.

We all took cautious steps inside.

"Galvantula!" Kai screamed joyfully.

"Galvantula!" a large spider leaped from the room and landed on Kai.

Kai laughed gleefully and hugged her Pokemon. "Here you are! You're safe! You're really safe!" Joyous tears ran down her face as she hugged her Pokemon tightly.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight, and I turned to June.

June had her eyes glued to the room.

I gasped as my attention focused on our surroundings.

The room's moist, muggy, dirty feeling heavy was in the air. The interior looked like a science lab! It was all gray, several metal tables inside, a dry erase board on the wall with a series of numbers and strange words, some not even in English, written all over it, smudges all over it from erasing on the board. Various kinds of electronic equipment were tossed about on the tables and floor, on their sides. The tables were also covered with broken glass, liquids of differing colors, and papers with printed information on them which were also strewn about on the floor. I could see patches of fleshy material on the table, looking like something absolutely disgusting, like vomit, or perhaps a piece of chewed meat.

I knew I didn't want to find out what it was, and I backed up a couple of steps.

"What is all of this?" June whispered. "What went on in here?"

"Looks boring to me," Kai commented. "But, look!" She ran towards the corner to her left and picked up a familiar bag. "I found my bag!" She opened it as June cried out in excitement and ran after Kai.

June bent down and dug through a much larger bag next to Kai. "My stuff! My Pokemon! It's all in here!"  
That's when I spotted the bag next to June's. "That one's mine!" I ran to it and opened it, recognizing the contents immediately. "But where are my Poke Balls?" I put my jacket in the bag, zipped it closed, and stood up, slinging it over my shoulder, and three items rolled from underneath the bag. "Poke Balls! Yes!" I picked up the three Poke Balls and held them out. "If there's anything in here, come on out!"

A white beam fired from the three Poke Balls.

"Coooottonee!"

"Drilbur!"

"Pidooove!"

"You guys are safe, too!" I said, my eyes watering happily.

My three Pokemon leaped at me excitedly and I held onto them all, glad to have them in my arms.

"Awww! This is just wonderful! We have all of our Pokemon," June said cheerfully.

My eyed widened as I remembered the situation we were in. "Right," I said seriously, letting go of my Pokemon. "You guys, come back." I returned my three Pokemon and turned to June, Kai, and their Galvantula.

June was holding out a Poke Ball, returning her Galvantula back to her Poke Ball.

Kai was also returning her Galvantula to his Poke Ball.

"We have our Pokemon safe and sound. Let's get out of here," I insisted.

They both nodded, and we ran back to the stairway.

I took one last glance back at the lab before turning around and running downstairs.

We burst through the door on the landing and gazed around at the dark room we had been when we entered this building. It looked exactly the same as when we had left it. Trees and filthy furniture littered the place, several consistent dripping noises heard from several places at once in the distance, small, barely noticeable blotches of different colors on the walls, the air disgustingly thick, heavy, and warm.

"Wow!" Kai exclaimed, walking away from us to look at something. She approached a tree trunk. "Is this a Southern Giant Darner?"

"Kai, we have to get out of here!" I whispered, though, with all the noise we had made, it didn't really make any sense to try to be quiet now.

"But, this is an Austrophlebia Costalis, a species of the dragonfly family! They're supposed to be found only in Australia! I can't believe Burgh has one of these!"

It was when I felt the bug fly by my ear with a loud buzz that I ran, desperate to get away from this place once and for all.

June gasped. "Kai!" June begged.

"June, move it!" I shouted, turning my head back, but not stopping to run.

Kai was still moving closer to the tree, and June was looking back and forth between us. June grabbed Kai's arm and gave her a pull, but Kai yanked her arm back and scowled angrily at June before turning back to the tree to get a better view of some stupid bug.

"Kai! What is wrong with you?" June cried shrilly. With a desperate cry, she ran away from Kai, leaving her to stop in front of the tree and reach out slowly towards it.

I turned back around and kept running, leaping over chairs, swinging my arms at vines, ducking under branches, kicking dirt and rocks out of my way, sweating profusely, breathing heavily.

"The door!" June gasped, several feet behind me.

I tried to see my way ahead through the jumble of junk in my path, and finally, I saw the door. "An exit!" I gasped happily.

I ran even faster, reaching the door after a minute more of the intense, terrifying run, and grabbed the door handle.

June was still a distance away, running as fast as she could to reach me.

I had no idea where Kai was right now.

June finally caught me and grabbed onto my shoulder, coughing hard, and she swallowed before coughing some more. "Kai," she choked out.

"Forget her," I said strongly.

June turned to me, a look of horror on her face.

"I don't want to just ditch her, but she made her choice. We can't die over her stupidity. We'll get to the police and help her. Now, let's get out of here!" I opened the door and we ran outside, the cool air surrounding our bodies instantly.

We both ran forward several feet before stopping, hands on our knees, inhaling the sweet, light, crisp, cold air underneath the night sky.

Several people in the area stopped walking as they saw June and I come bursting out from the strange building. A couple of people snickered at us, while others pointed at us and muttered, the rest just silently watching.

"We made it out of there!" June breathed hard.

"We need to find the police, or Nurse Joy," I told her, standing up straight.

June nodded.

"Are you two kids alright?" a lady called out to us.

We both turned to her.

The woman wore a dark blue dress and a light blue bandana on her head, her feet in white shoes. A scared look was on her face. "You kids look a mess! What were you doing in that old, abandoned building? Do you need help?"

"We need the police!" I called out to her. "That building isn't abandoned! Our friend is trapped in there with Burgh!"

The entire crowd of people gasped loudly. Their muttering got louder after my mention of last sentence.

"Did you just say Burgh?" the lady asked, squinting at us in shock.

I nodded.

"Burgh is in there and he has our friend! Please, somebody call the police!" June pleaded.

Nobody pulled out a phone. They just stared at us, looks of confusion and fear on their faces.

"Do you mean to say that Burgh is alive? Are you absolutely certain it was him?" The lady's voice quivered as she spoke now.

"_Yes!_ It was him! Who cares who is it was? Somebody, call the police! Our friend is in danger!" I screamed.

A few people pulled out their cell phones at my plea and began to make phone calls.

It hadn't even been ten seconds since the phones were raised to their ears before I heard the sirens. The people holding their phones turned around in confusion as lights flashed from the tops of two police cars that pulled up in front of us.

The doors opened, and I spotted the long leg that came from the car, attached to a black shoe, but not the usual high heel all Officer Jenny wore.

Officer Jenny? I thought in my head, somehow mesmerized by her already despite the horrific situation that was going on.

The next thing I saw was a different colored outfit. It wasn't the usual blue, but instead, was a tan color. She moved from the car, and I stared at her in shock.

Officer Jenny? I repeated in shock. No. This can't possibly be her.

Her hair wasn't blue. It was closer to a turquoise color and was cut very short.

Another officer came out of the car, looking exactly like the first woman.

Two more officers, identical to the other women, stepped out from the second car.

All of the officers spotted June and I and immediately walked over to us.

"Are you kids okay?" one of the officers asked, kneeling down to us. "We got a phone call about thirty minutes ago about a disturbance in the area. Screams were reported. What happened to you?"

"Officer Jenny, it's Burgh!" June said quickly.

_This_ is an Officer Jenny? I thought. Despite the horror overflowing my body from my escape of Burgh's building, I found myself completely stunned by how different and, quite frankly, unattractive, she looked compared to the Officer Jenny in Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn.

"Burgh?" another Officer Jenny asked, staring at June with a surprised look.

"Yes, or whoever it is in there," June nodded quickly. "We went in there for a battle, but-"

"The gym here has been abandoned," another of the Officer Jenny informed us. "It's been inactive for years. Nobody's seen Burgh since-"

A loud cry rang out, making everyone gasp and turn around.

What was that? I wondered, looking around. That was when I spotted him.

There stood a man, looking up into the sky, wearing sunglasses and a black trench coat reaching so far down that it scraped the ground, covering his feet. He was hunched over, the hump of his back reaching over his head, and wider than his entire body. It looked like he was carrying a dome on his back.

This isn't good at all, I instantly knew, shaking my head at the man. I looked up to where he was looking. "Burgh!" I screamed, pointing at the top of the gym building.

Burgh was standing on top of the building, on the roof that hung loosely, an easy entryway into the building through the hole that wasn't covered by the hanging roof. Burgh let out an inhuman screech of some kind, and leaped from the top of the building, his cut up cape lifting behind him, giving him the appearance of a spider or some kind of multi-legged creature.

The people in the area screamed when they spotted Burgh, and shrieked even louder when he leaped from the roof.

Burgh landed in front of us and stood up straight. He brushed back his hair, leaving it sitting behind his ears, revealing his sickly face, showing that he was smiling, his lips closed.

"Where's Kai?" June cried out in a terrified voice.

"Burgh? Is that really you?" an Officer Jenny asked, taking a step back, her face getting pale.

The other officers just looked at Burgh in disbelief.

"No. I am not Burgh," Burgh smiled demonically, flashing crooked, yellow teeth, some of which were missing, others seeming inhumanly sharp.

"Then, who are you?" an officer asked in a voice that seemed to be attempting to come out strong, but was shaky, squeaky, and cracked.

Several of the bystanders had run away by now, but a few stayed, looking too terrified to move.

"I once was known by this _Burgh_ name. This _human_ name," Burgh spoke, his voice low, but strong, his eyes dull, yet alive with an internal energy. "I am no longer this _human. _I am, an insect. Far greater than a human being. Lord over all insects. Lord over all life forms."

"Uh. Wh-Huh?" Officer Jenny stammered in confusion.

"The insect species has been around since the very beginning of time, long before _man_ was even a thought," Burgh said, taking a strong step towards us.

June, me, and the Officer Jennys took a step back, the small crowd crying out in fear.

"To this day, surviving the destruction of the dinosaurs, the continuous attacks on the planet we live on from natural occurrences such as earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes, and existing to this day in a technological world, insects have proven to be unstoppable and indestructible," Burgh continued. "Humans, with all their knowledge, and all their fancy gizmos, are still a dying species, and once annihilated, once all animal life is cleared out of existence, I ask you: Who will be left standing? Indeed, the insects."

He is far crazier than Kai suspected, I thought, looking at him, slightly amused, but more so fearful. He's completely insane.

"Okay, Burgh, or whatever you want to call yourself," an Officer Jenny said, taking a few steps up to Burgh. "How about you come with us?"

Burgh let out an angry cry and waved an arm.

The officer stepped back nervously, the crowd crying out again.

"You humans prove useful in your freewill," Burgh growled, his eyes seeming to grow darker. "You are weak, pitiful, and disposable, but you have a brain unlike any other species on this planet. This is why, a mergence is necessary. A combination in human and insect species. The ultimate creation that will last for all eternity!"

The crowd muttered amongst each other. I even heard a camera snap as a picture was taken, the flash going off.

Burgh growled at the flash, the crowd gasping and backing up, terror in their eyes.

"We are going to ask you all to put away your cameras as we take over this situation," an officer ordered as she walked towards the spectators.

"The project has already been accomplished," Burgh said in a low voice, grabbing all of our attention. "I've successfully merged human and insect species together. It was years of experimentation with the parasite known as Ophiocordyceps Sinesis, or, perhaps more commonly referred to as the Tochukaso parasite. Nothing worked at first. I couldn't get the possession process the parasite is so well known for to work as required in humans. During my time, deep in research, I went to the Kanto Region to seek out an object of interest. This object was merely rumored to exist, but I was desperate. If it did exist, I just knew that it would be the key I was missing to unlock the success of my experiment. The object was connected in some unknown way to a mythological Pokemon from that region. Low and behold, I found the object. Somehow, through my years in the Kanto Region, desperately searching, gathering clues about its location, going both far and wide, high and low, through sea, land, and all else that got in my way, doing the unthinkable, the unimaginable, and the impossible in my quest, I actually found it. I took it back with me to Unova, and my research proved a complete success. And it was all thanks to the what I found in Kanto. A gene which has the power to drive one, berserk. And now." Burgh reached inside of his cape.

"Burgh! Freeze!" an Officer Jenny shouted. "Don't move!"

Three of the officers pulled out their guns and pointed them at Burgh.

The fourth officer was radioing for backup.

The crowd screamed, a couple of people running, a few people peeking out from the doors of stores and other buildings, many people holding out their phones to record everything.

Burgh froze, a small smile on his face.

"Slowly place your hands in the air! Slowly!" one of the police officers yelled.

"Oh, but of course," Burgh said slyly.

A loud, shrill screech like nothing I'd ever heard, rang out in the area.

Everyone turned around to the source of the noise.

To my immense shock, it was coming from the man in the sunglasses and enormous lump on his back! The man's mouth was open wide, screaming up at the sky, screeching a loud cry that sounded like nothing from this planet.

The man lowered his head and raised an arm. The sight of his arm caused everyone to scream for their lives. It was all white, crooked, long, misshapen, and had no hand. His arm ended, instead, in a large, white pincer! He swiped at his sunglasses, and the sight we all saw next raised more cries of horror and shrieks of panic, one of the officers even dropping her gun in shock, her mouth hanging open. The man's eyes were entirely white, and bulging from his head! He bared his teeth, which were all brown and incredibly tiny and dagger-like, and then he reached with both of his white, stalk-like arms, removing his jacket with this pincers.

I nearly vomited at the sight of the man's body underneath his coat.

He wore no clothes. His entire body was a milky white. He was hunched over, carrying some kind of white, mushroom-looking sack on his back. The man bent all the way over, getting on all fours, and cried another insane scream at us.

That looks so familiar, I realized in disgust, my stomach churning, my heart thumping frantically. What is that?

"Say hello to one of the lucky few who shall eternally live on, forever!" Burgh screamed. "One of the immortals! Seeing this experiment , this _LIFE_ of mine in action, lets me know that is it indeed safe to begin the experiments on myself! _THIS_ is what I want to be! _What I am!_" Burgh laughed like a maniac as he pulled out an enormous needle from his cape.

_**BANG!**_

A gunshot rang out, and Burgh dropped the needle, covering his face, screaming in pain as he stumbled back, bending over.

The needle smashed to the ground and a gray liquid spilled out onto the ground.

The crowd screamed in terror at the sound of the gun firing.

The creature screamed and leaped, taking down two of the Officer Jennys as they screamed.

One of the Officer Jennys ran towards Burgh, while the last officer, who had dropped her gun, stood frozen by fear, looking from Burgh to her partners as the creature that had attacked them began slashing at their faces with his pincers while they screamed, begging for help, trying to push the monster off of them, their guns having been knocked out of their grasp.

As the officer who shot Burgh approached him, Burgh turned around, nearly his entire face coated in his own blood from the bullet he had surprising survived, a furious sneer on his face, and he flung his hand in her direction.

Something flew from Burgh's hand and landed on her face.

Officer Jenny screamed as several, small little creatures covered her face. She dropped her gun and swiped at the bugs frantically, backing away from Burgh.

Burgh reached into his cloak again and pulled out a remote control this time. "You've ruined _EVERYTHING!_" Burgh roared. He pressed one of the few buttons on the box.

Nothing happened.

_**CRASH!**_!

June, me, the crowd, and the remaining Officer Jenny turned with a scream towards the sound to see that what appeared to be a rooftop was now smashed in front of Burgh's building, on the ground. We all looked up to see that it indeed did belong to the building Burgh inhabited, the building now roofless.

The Officer Jennys shrieked in pain, and I turned as the monster on them continued to rip their blood spilling faces apart, now digging his little teeth into one of their faces, seeming to suck on it.

Wait, I thought. That thing. That monster! It looks like…

June's shrill scream grabbed my attention and I turned to see her looking up at the roof, a loud buzzing getting louder by the second from somewhere.

I turned to the building again and stumbled back, my eyes widening until it hurt.

The loud buzzing noises were coming from the open roof of the building as an endless amount of bugs flew out from within it, rising into the sky like a huge, black cloud, nearly disappearing into the night sky. The bugs spread apart almost instantly and dove down upon the city as flightless bugs crawled from the top of the building and rapidly crawled their way down to the ground.

I looked around as everybody ran as fast as they could, screaming as loud as possible, running into each other, the buildings, or down the street in a panic. Some people stepped out of their buildings in amazement, but once the swarm reached them, they were screaming in pain and running back inside, leading the bugs in with them.

The monster attacking the officers was still sucking the blood from one of their faces, slashing at their now silent bodies.

Parasect! I screamed in my head. That monster looks like some kind of a mutated Parasect! I didn't have long to think about this.

Burgh stepped up to June and I, making us both cry out.

He was now holding one of the officer's guns in his hand, his face flowing down heavily with blood. "I worked so hard for that serum," Burgh growled. "You all, shall _pay!_" He bared his disgusting teeth as he raised the gun and pointed it at me.

I held my breath, staring at the dark hole of the barrel with petrified eyes.

"_WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_" a loud scream was heard right before a large creature flew into Burgh, hitting him in the face, the gun flying from his hand.

The individual stood up and smiled at June and I. "You know, Burgh's really not so kawaii after all," Kai said, shaking her said.

"_AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_" June shrieked, and swatted away a huge wasp looking bug on the back of her hand, the insect as long as her hand itself. June held her hand close to her and screamed in pain. "_IT BUUUUUURNS! A big bee just STUNG ME!_"

"Actually, it was a-" Kai explained to June.

"_LATER!_" June shouted angrily. "_GAAAHHHHHH! IT STINGS SO BADLYYY!"_

I began to freak out and closed my mouth and eyes tightly as I swatted spastically at the bugs surrounded my body, buzzing in my ear, flying into my face. I felt a pull on my wrist, and I ran with the pull, keeping my eyes closed.

"Like I was trying to tell you, June, it's a Tarantula Hawk!" Kai shouted from in front of me. "They're spider wasps that hunt tarantulas to use as food for their larvae. It's considered one of the all time most painful insect stings in the world."

"_I can see why you stupid little-!_" June yelled angrily from close by.

"Where are we going?" I shouted over June, squinting over at Kai.  
"Out of Castelia!" Kai answered.

"What about June?!"  
"She'll be fine! This can be easily treated! Trust me!"

The three of us ran through a crowd of people running in all different kinds of directions. There was screaming, the sound of breaking glass, and I'm pretty sure I even heard a gunshot or two. Several times, I witnessed people banging on the doors of shops and tall business and apartment buildings, and most of those times, the doors were held closed by people inside, afraid to let the person or people outside, in. The person begging to get inside was always screaming in pain from the attacks they were receiving from the bugs.

One child was running by herself, screaming for her mommy, but collapsed to the ground very quickly, letting out a scream I knew I'd never forget for as long as I lived, a swarm of large bees covering her body in seconds.

I closed my eyes, unable to take anymore of this, tears now starting to cloud my vision.

"Alright! Hang tight, you guys!" Kai encouraged us.

June continued to scream, louder than before.

I tried forcing the image of that little girl out of my head, desperate to forget her scream. She must have been about six, I thought against my will, tears forcing their way through my eyelids.

I felt more bugs slamming into my face, and I pursed my lips even tighter, feeling them in my ears, making me shake my head furiously.

Kai stopped running. "Okay, everything should be fine, now! It's a bit sandy, but I think you'll prefer the Desert Resort to Castelia City right now."

I squinted through my eyes at Kai. "Huh? Oh!" We were in a desert!

"_AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!_" June's cry was painful to even hear. I couldn't imagine the pain she was going through.

"Don't worry about that, June," Kai said casually. "I'll fix you right up."

The wind blew in my face, sand swirling around me. I couldn't believe it. We had made it out of Castellia City and were now in some kind of desert! What did she say this place was called? I wondered as Kai dug through her bag, June on the ground, holding her hand, crying loudly.

Suddenly, a painful pinch in my neck caused a loud gasp to escape my throat. I inhaled as deeply as I could, pulling sand into my mouth and throat. "_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! OOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!_" I grabbed the back of my back and felt something furry. I gripped it and pulled, tossing it to the ground in front of me.

A big spider stood there and ran away from us, back in the direction we came from.

"Oh, my, that's not good," Kai said, shaking her head as she watched the spider run off.

Fire. Pure fire was on the back of my neck where the spider had bitten me. I had never felt anything this painful in my entire life. Nothing was comparable to the sensation now flowing throughout my body. I dropped to the ground, twitching in pain, screaming, feeling a lack of control over my own body's movements.

"That's Phoneutria, more commonly referred to as the Brazilian wandering spider, armed spiders, or, as they say in Portugese, 'armadeiras,' and also referred to as the banana spider. Not to be confused with the golden silk-"

"_Kai, I will actually kill you if you don't shut up!_" I bellowed, my teeth gritted so tightly, they were bound to crack under the pressure at any second.

"Rude," Kai said indignantly. "But, I suppose I do understand your short temper right now. The Brazilian wandering spider is known as the most venomous spider to date, and it is also known to give the most painful bite of any insect in the world, with quite the symptoms. Sym. Ptoms. Symptoms. Symp. Toms. Symptoms. Sympt. Oms. Symptoms."

June and I were on the sandy ground.

Screaming in agony from the worst pain we'd ever gone through in our entire lives.

On the verge of death.

In the middle of the desert.

With Kai.


	17. Hitting The Old Sandy Trail

"_GGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_" The pain traveling through my body was excruciating. I could barely even feel my own arms, legs, neck, or face. My entire body was motioning through the sand on the ground on its own. My arms swung around in the air and smacked at the ground, tossing up sand, my feet kicking up more sand. I choked on the sand flowing around me, going into my throat. Saliva was also filling my mouth uncontrollably, but it hurt to swallow. Trying to spit it out of my mouth wasn't working since I wasn't in control of my body and I couldn't turn my head to spit at the ground, so during my few successful hack ups of spit, I ended up getting globs of my own saliva on my face, running down my cheeks and chin.

June sat far away from me, holding her hand wrapped in gauze. Kai had given June an icepack she had in her bag and applied an antibiotic ointment to her wound, also giving June some ibuprofen. June's pain had ended after another ten minutes, and she had been quiet ever since, though tears continued to roll down her eyes.

"A sting from a tarantula hawk doesn't last for very long!" Kai had explained to June, screaming over my pained cries as she went to take care of me. "Just be careful of that hand for the next few days. It's gonna be very sensitive." She turned to me. "As for you…"

"_I'm dying!_" I screamed as I rolled on the ground, shivering hard, choking on saliva and sand. "_I can't breathe! AAAAUUGGGHHHHH!_"

"Gary, please calm down," Kai said calmly. "You're gonna be just fine. You weren't bitten that badly. Stop moving! You're only gonna make it worse if you move like that!"

"_Kill me! Kill me now! Please! Get a gun and SHOOT ME! Right in the head! Right in the-_" I begged Kai.

She held me down, trying hard to prevent me from moving. "Gary, your wound isn't even that bad! Will you stop being such a baby? I already gave you an antidote for that kind of bite! If you just relax, you'll be up in no time! You're very lucky!"

I was crying hysterically, my neck burning and throbbing, feeling thick and heavy and like it was weghing me down. "_Please! June! Kai! Just kill me already! I don't wanna live anymore! I can't take it! I can't take it anymore!_"

Kai frowned and let out a sigh of frustration as she struggled to keep me still, growling.

It had been several hours of intense pain, sweat perspiring down my face continuously despite it being nearly Winter. I had finally managed to relax and breathe a little easier, the back of my neck feeling slightly sore as I laid on the ground, breathing quickly in short bursts, choking on the sand in the air, my heart beating fast, my eyes closed.

Kai was sitting next to me, talking about the spider that had bitten me. "-known as PhTx3. This is a calcium channel blocker that prevents calcium uptake, glutamate release, and glutamate uptake in the neural synapses. We got to the wound so fast, but if it had been a more serious bite, or if we hadn't been able to act so quickly, such things as loss of muscle control, breathing issues, paralysis, asphyxiation, intense pain, and inflammation could have occurred. You see, the venom has an excitatory effect on the serotonin 5-HTF4 receptors of sensory nerves. This stimulation to the sensory nerves causes-"

I listened to her nonsensical jabbering quietly, not understanding most of what she was saying, and not fully convinced she even knew what she was talking about, herself.

I felt so warm and comfortable. "Mmmmm…" I said softly, and I nuzzled my face against something soft, gentle, warm, comforting, and familiar. A smile crept over my face and I let out a sigh of relief. I was back home, in bed. "Aahhh…" I sighed peacefully and buried my face in the pillow. "Home." I reached my arms out to rub my smooth bed. My hands and arms scarped a rough surface beneath me. "Hey!" I cried out in surprise, opening my eyes.

"Cottoneeee!" my pillow cried out in surprise.

"Whoa!" I pushed myself up and sat up in the sand I was laying on, staring at my pillow in shock as it floated up into the air.

No, it was a Cottonee!

Something poked its head through the sand and looked up at me. "Drilbur?"

Something landed on my left shoulder and let out a gentle cry.

"Aahhh!" I screamed as I fell back, the bird flapping its wings to stay in the air. "Pidove?"

Pidove landed on the ground and looked up at me.

"Sorry about that. You appeared out of nowhere!" I turned around to see June looking at me, sitting on the ground. "Uh, hey!"

She smiled, still holding her hand.

I turned and saw Kai looking at me, sitting on the ground.

"I see you are finally feeling better," Kai nodded with a smile. "You just needed to relax. Re. Lax. Relax."

I sighed. "Yes. I suppose so."

"'Kay bye!" Kai stood up and started walking away!

"Huh?" I exclaimed in shock. "What?"

Kai stopped and turned back to me. "I can't hang around here anymore. I managed to take care of both of you, and June assisted me in feeding and healing all of the Pokemon you two own. I really was disappointed there weren't more Bugs or Ghosts other than Rotom and Galvantula. I don't know about us being friends, Gary. I mean, not _one_ Bug or Ghost? Not cool. June, you really need to catch a lot more than just those two that you have. Now, I have to go back to Castelia to help those poor people and see what can be done about this bug swarm without harming any bugs or people, if possible. I left some things in your bags to help in your recovery process, but you'll both be fine. I also checked both of you, as well as myself, for lice. We're all clear. So, yeah, bye!" Kai took off, running towards Castelia City, and before long, she was out of sight.

June and I turned to each other.

"I guess she's gone," June said.

I sighed and looked down to my Pokemon. "Drilbur, Cottonee, Pidove. You guys okay?"

They all cried out happily to me.

"I'm glad you all are safe," I smiled. Looking around me, I stood up. "Where are we?"

"The Desert Resort," June said, standing as well. "Kai said it's the Desert Resort."

Taking the Town Map out of my pocket, my eyes scanned for the location on it, finally spotting it. "I see it. It's between Castelia City and Nimbasa City."

"The wind has eased up," June noted. "Kai said it gets really bad further up ahead."

I let out a sigh as I put the Town Map away and rubbed my arms from the surprisingly cold air around us. "Hey, where's my jacket?"  
"There." She pointed a few feet away, deeper into the desert.

"It's chilly out here right now," I said as I walked over to my coat, which was on top of my bag, and put it on.  
"The desert cools down at night."

I gripped my arms tightly and stared ahead into the sand.

"You okay, Gary?" June asked softly.

My body was itching and shaking, my mind reliving the horrible experience I had just managed to survive in Castelia City. Burgh, I thought.

His face flashed in my mind, covered in flowing blood from the bullet he took.

I saw the man whose body resembled a Parasect fused with a human, attacking the Officer Jennys.

The bugs that flew from Burgh's building, chasing after the people in Castelia City, buzzing everywhere, touching me, made me run my hands around my arms frantically, trying get the feeling off of me.

My heart picked up its pace as I fearfully, painfully, remembered the young girl, no older than eight, attacked by a swarm of bees as she tried to run away, her entire body covered by them as she screamed for her mom, and a terrible shiver effortlessly ripped through me.

I remembered June, Kai, and I, trapped in that web in the building Burgh occupied, while countless insects crawled all over our bodies.

My eyes closed tightly as my mind was taken over by memories from Castelia City. I jumped and looked up in surprise as something touched my shoulder.

"Gary, it's okay. It's over, now," June told me, her hand on my shoulder, looking into my eyes.

I looked away from her, to the ground, and just shook my head. It's not that simple, I thought to myself as the young girl in my mind was covered by the raging swarm of bees, her screams ringing through my eardrums, crystal clear, even louder now as a memory than when I had heard her scream in person.

"We'll be okay, Gary," June said in a low, comforting voice. "We're out of there. I'm sure everything will be okay in Castelia."

Her words didn't help me at all. They were empty and unconfirmed, meaning nothing to me. Now what? I wondered as I looked ahead. Where do we go from here? My mind wouldn't let up, continuing to terrify me with memories of Castelia City.

Burgh bursting from his cocoon as Kai got closer to it.

Burgh's sunken, sun deprived, decrepit face.

The needle that smashed on the ground, leaking its gray serum.

My knees gave in and I dropped down next to my bag, wrapped it up into my arms, holding it tightly against my face, my eyes closed, trembling, wishing the horrific memories would stop.

A strange cry reached my ears from somewhere close by.

I opened my eyes and before I could react, something leaped from the sand. Screaming, I leaped to my feet as some kind of animal reached for my face with two small, sharp points. I raised my bag up to protect myself, and the creature flew into it.

A sharp claw grabbed at the top of the bag, and the little monster scurried to the top.

A Pokemon? I thought, gaping at it in shock.

It looked like a scorpion, only its front claws were sharp, pointed needles and the tail was the claw!

June cried out in fear.

The creature kept its eyes on me and raised its stingers towards me.

Before I could react, something large flew at the scorpion and knocked it off of my bag. June's bag? I realized, and turned to her.

June was wide eyed as she looked down at her bag that covered the Pokemon. "That is so scary," she said shakily.

I turned back to the bag. "Where'd it go?"

"Drilbur!" Drilbur stepped past my legs cautiously, looking at the bag.

"Drilbur, dig that thing out from under June's bag!" I ordered.

"Drilbur!" Drilbur dug underground.

We all waited.

Me.

June.

Cottonee.

Pidove.

Our eyes were all on June's bag as we waited for Drilbur to reappear.

Finally, the sand split apart, and Drilbur dug his way up. "Drilbur," he said, shaking his head.

"It got away?" I asked, disappointed.

Drilbur looked down, sad, and nodded.

Sighing, I shook my head.

"Drilbur. Dril, bur," Dril said sadily, lowering his head further.

"That thing was a Scorupi," June informed me. "Right now, I think the last thing you need to be running into are Bug types, Gary."

"A Bug?" I let out a disgusted moan and rubbed my arms as my body was overcome with the feeling of crawling insects. With a sigh, I knelt down and pat Drilbur's head, smiling. "Don't be down. I'm sorry, Drilbur. I'm just a little bit stressed out right now. I'm not mad at you at all. Thanks for going after that Skorupi for me."

"Drilbur!" Drilbur smiled up at me.

I turned to June and opened my mouth to say something to her.

"_I _threw my bag at the thing," she muttered moodily, looking away from me.

I hesitated, closing my mouth. "I was about to thank you, June," I said, a slightly upset tone in my voice.

"No, you weren't," she muttered.

"I was, too!" I said angrily, standing up.

"Whatever," she said, crossing her arms.

I grit my teeth hard, trying not to argue with her. After all, she did save me from that Skorupi, and I know that I _did _intend on thanking her. "Thank you for saving me, June. I sincerely appreciate it."

"Yeah, say it now that I mention it," June said, turning her back on me.

Maybe she's just stressed out after all the crap in Castelia, I told myself quickly, trying hard not to blow up on her.

My Pokemon were all looking at us now.

I forced a smile and held out their Poke Balls. "Thanks for all the support, you guys. For now, you can come on back." I returned my Pokemon to their Poke Balls and turned to June.

She was already looking at me, an uncertain look on her face.

"June, I really mean it, okay? I was going to thank you before you spoke up so quickly. I, uh, well, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything. I'm sorry."

June stared at me silently, her lips pursed tight.

I stared back uncomfortably, not wanting to look at her for too long a time while not saying anything.

The wind blew at us suddenly, blowing around sand and cooling the area down even further.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and dug my hands into my jacket pockets.

June's red hair flew into her eyes, and she reached up to fix it, pushing it behind her ears. "I'm sorry, too."

It was all she said, but it made the difference.

"Well, after what's happened, I have to admit that I'm not too keen on continuing this stupid journey anymore, but for now, let's get to civilization and think this all over," I suggested.

"Yeah, let's find a place where I can take a shower," June shuddered.

"Agreed."

"So, are we going to Nimbasa City, then?"

"No other place to go to from here."

June clapped excitedly and let out a thrilled squeal from her throat.

"What?" I asked.

"Nimbasa City! I really want to go there!" June said, smiling for the first in a couple of days. "I really, really want to visit! It's home to my second favorite Gym Leader, Elesa, the Electric type Gym Leader and famous model! I truly idolize that woman."

"Electric types, huh?" I smiled a little bit. "And a model…" I began wondering what she could look like as visions of beautiful women swam through my head.

We both turned around and stared ahead through the swirling sand in our faces. Nothing but sand could be seen for miles away. A cactus sat by itself several feet from us.

"We could easily get lost out there," June said nervously. "I don't know if we should go this way."  
"We have no other place to go from here," I said impatiently. "I'm not going back to Castelia."

"I'm not saying we should go back there, but it's just really dangerous going through this kind of environment!" June cried. "You saw that Skorupi. If you had gotten stung, where would I have taken you?"

"Sure as Hell not Castelia City!" I exclaimed.

"Gary, of course I would have had to _try!_" June shouted.

I stared at her in shock. "Are you serious right now?"

"Yes! Why would I be joking at a time like this?"  
"June, that city is full of freaking insects and stuff! We cannot go back there under any circumstance. _Ever!_"

"I don't know how to get to Nimbasa City from here! I can't carry you who knows how long through the desert, blindly! Obviously, Castelia is not too far in the direction Kai ran in. The situation could be under control by now! It's been a while."

"They have a total epidemic going on there right now, June," I said, tired of this discussion already and yet wanting to get the point across that she better not ever try taking me back to Castelia with her no matter what the situation was.

"Yes, and that's why it'd be a better idea to take you there, where they are caring for already injured people, and not drag you through the desert!"

I knew in my heart that June was right, but to admit that made shivers run all throughout my body. On the other hand, I wholeheartedly felt that she was wrong, as well. All I could think about were the bugs that were possibly still terrorizing the city. "Listen," I sighed. "Let's just be careful and get to Nimbasa City right now. Let's not worry about a worst case scenario. We've been through enough."

June swallowed, nodding slowly.

A strong breeze blew through the area, tossing around sand, June and I struggling through the rough terrain as we moved forward, our heads down against the sand and wind, leaving Castellia City even further behind us with each step.

It had been a short while of walking before I stopped and looked up, squinting into the sand blowing around in the wind that seemed to be lessening up.

June had stopped walking and turned back to look at me. "What?"

I looked ahead at the seemingly endless miles of sand ahead of us, and then I looked behind me at the stretch of sand and the cactus far away, before looking to my right and left side.

"Gary? What's wrong?"

I turned back to her. "Nothing. Let's just keep moving."

June kept her eyes on me, not following at first as I walked past her, but I heard her footsteps follow me shortly afterwards.

I didn't tell her what was wrong because I was sure it was nothing. It was just a feeling. A premonition, if that's the right word.

I didn't tell June what was wrong because it was unnecessary, silly, and unfounded.

After all the things we had gone through, June didn't need to have anymore concerns added onto her.

And neither did I, for that matter.

Besides, I had just taken a careful look around.

Nobody was around.

Nobody was watching us.

There was no reason to feel like we were being followed.

As the wind picked up, blowing sand around us, howling and blowing against us as we struggled through the desert.

My feeling.

My premonition.

My unnecessary, silly, unfounded concern.

Returned.


	18. Lookin' For What In All The Wrong Places

My sneakers crunched through the sand as it surrounded my body, blown by the wind. My eyes were closed, sand in them and in my sneakers as well. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get the sand out of them, but I was only making it worse, my eyes watering and stinging in pain.

This was absolutely terrible.

June and I had been traveling through the Desert Resort for over a day since we had encountered the Skorupi. I was certain that we would have made it out of here a long time ago, and yet, here we were, tired and weak, the sun beaming high above us, creating sweltering heat that made our journey even more strenuous.

June wasn't far away from me, her head down, lips shut tight, forcing her way ahead.

During our first night here, I couldn't sleep very well, the strange feeling of being watched making the skin on my arms tingle. And yet, June and I were all alone in the desert. I kept telling myself I was just being silly, and yet there was this strange noise, and an unsettling feeling that something was out there. I stayed up while June slept, keeping watch, telling June that I just wanted to make sure no more Skorupi came around to attack us, or any other Pokemon who might want our food.

June thought this was a good idea, and offered to trade shifts every couple of hours, letting one of us sleep while the other kept watch.

This was an excellent idea to me, and I kept calm and nonchalant as I agreed with her plan.

We made it safely through the night, though we both felt extremely tired by the time the sun was up, shining brightly, on its way even higher into the sky as we set up a quick breakfast for our Pokemon and ourselves.

Our second night, also our first full day here, we did the same thing, one of us staying up for a couple of hours while the other slept, and taking turns. Nothing happened that night, but I had shivers that I feared were from more than just the temperature drop.

When we had fed our Pokemon earlier this morning, it wasn't too bad outside, the sand being pushed around by the wind, but not tossed about like it was now.

The Pokemon were visibly bothered by the sand getting in their food, and weren't very eager about eating in these conditions, but June and I instructed them to eat while they could as we tried to find our way out of here.

June's Electivire got irritated and began to release bursts of electricity from his body, shocking random spots on the ground around him.

Magneton and Rotom made good use of the moment and tried to catch as much of the electricity as they could, eagerly devouring the Electric attacks.

June had tried to calm her Pokemon down, but he ended up shocking her in the process.

It was a long breakfast.

We hadn't spoken much, mainly due to all of the sand flying around us. The silence was nice, in my opinion.

However, the journey was far from enjoyable.

I had told June we wouldn't be here much longer. I told her we'd be in Nimbasa City really soon, so we both decided not to take anymore breaks and head straight there. Once we had finished eating, we attempted to reach our destination. Hours later, the sandstorm had only gotten worse, and as far as I could tell, we might very well have been lost. Everything looked the same around us. Nothing but sand. Sand everywhere.

I wonder what Nimbasa City will be like? I wondered as I walked blindly into the sand. It had taken me a while of contemplation to come to the conclusion that I still wanted to continue my Pokemon journey. It was something I hadn't fully made my mind up on for a while. After what had occurred in Castelia City, I really didn't know what I should do with myself. But after all this time walking in the sand, in an environment that allowed for a bit more peace and quiet for a change, I could really begin to dwell on my life and what I'd been through so far, as well as the direction I wanted to take from here. I definitely knew that taking a shower was number one on my list of to-dos. It wasn't until we had finished our breakfast this morning that I had decided to also go for my third badge at Nimbasa City.

I raised my head, feeling that the wind was dying down, the sand flying around in front of me like a billion, tiny gnats. I couldn't see anything but more and more sand, and I let out a disappointed sigh, my eyes still stinging as I squinted angrily through them. Seriously? Still nothing? I thought with disappointment as I stopped walking. Did we take a wrong turn?

June stopped and turned to me, squinting hard.

Letting out an angry cry, I turned around in a complete circle. "Let's just keep going!" I called out to her, and walked ahead of her.

June didn't say a word, surprisingly. She just walked after me.

"What's that?" I said, squinting at something dark in the distance.

June raised a hand to her forehead as she looked ahead.

As we got closer, I realized that the thing was hovering in the air, a strange noise coming from it. We both stopped several feet away and stared at the black creature that was floating several feet above the ground. It seemed to be holding something, and was making some kind of crying noise.

A Pokemon? I wondered, and pulled out my Pokedex.

_**Yamask. The Spirit Pokemon. These Pokemon are the spirits of a certain group of ancient people, and hold a mask shaped in the face of themselves when they were alive. They are often found crying while forever maintaining memories of their past life.**_

The Yamask turned around and gasped. Its face was covered in tears. I could see the back of the mask it was holding in its hands. "Yaaamask!" it screamed at us, and quickly flew away from us, disappearing into the desert.

June and I turned to each other, shocked looks on our faces.

I looked down at my Pokedex. "Was that info it just said, correct?" I asked June.

"I really hope not," June said sadly. "That's terrible! That poor Pokemon."

I put my Pokedex away and looked around, rubbing my eyes some more. I couldn't open them all the way. It hurt too much. My shoulders slumped. Defeat was beginning to weigh me down and tire me out as I began to feel like I was ready to collapse to the ground.

June kept her head down, eyes to the ground, as the wind gave one really strong gust, blowing sand into our faces.

I stumbled backwards against the wind and sand. The wind died down quickly, blowing very weakly. The mixture of heat and wind was confusing as the heat was wearing me out, but the wind wasn't quite cooling me down, blowing hot air, but making the humidity slightly more bearable, all the while, the sand brushing up against me was drying my skin, making me tired and thirsty at all times, even after drinking water from my water bottle. My lips were dry and cracking, aching worse as time passed. I forced myself to continue. This has to end at some point, I told myself. This can't just go on forever. It just can't possibly keep going on like this.

June was moving slower than ever, and wasn't speaking a word.

I kept looking behind me to make sure she was there.

She always was. Her feet slid along the ground, too tired to walk properly.

I also took a glance around us on occasion to make sure we were still alone. We're alone, I told myself. There's nothing out here. What could be out here? Relax, Gary.

June mumbled something behind me.

I turned to her and stopped walking, heaving hard. It almost seemed like it might be a good idea to lay down on top of the sand and take a nap. Anything to just take a quick rest and not move for a while, no matter how close to Nimbasa City we were. I mumbled something in the heat, but even I didn't know what I was saying.

June had her hands in her eyes. She seemed to have sand in them, and she was grumbling as she tried to clear them.

Mumbling in my weariness, I turned around and continued to walk, the wind in the desert calming down, the sand settling on the ground. My eyes suddenly widened in shock and I rubbed at them with my hands. As my hands lowered, my eyes widened even further.

In the distance, there stood a girl! She was leaning forward, visibly tired, her feet not lifting an inch in the sand as she walked further ahead of us at a steady pace.

How didn't I see her before? I questioned. Did June and I stumble off track, somehow? Where did she even come from?

Her hands gripped a black hood that sat on her head as it ruffled gently in the light breeze that started up, sand starting to once again pollute the cloudy air around us. She leaned forward into the wind, her light, black hoodie ruffling gently on her, but the girl was actually taking a couple of steps backwards against the wind's force, though the wind was very gentle and shouldn't have been able to move much more than a leaf. When the wind finally eased down, she stood still, shaking her head, and then curled up a little bit, wrapping her arms around her body even tighter, rubbing her arms slowly, and lowering her head as she shakily stepped forward.

Is she okay? I asked myself. "June, look! There's another person!" I shouted, pointing ahead at the girl.

"Huh? I can't see!" June cried in frustration, still rubbing her eyes. "Where?"

A flash of light blue eyes.

Pale, thin lips.

My eyes widened instantly and a stunned, low cry escaped my throat.

Her eyes widened in fear, and she turned around and ran away, dashing through the sand.

"_WAIT!_" I took off after the girl, a burst of energy flowing throughout my entire body, reinvigorating me.

"Gary?!" June shouted in confusion.

"_HEY! WAIT A MINUTE!_"

She was very thin, and really fast, easily making the space between us widen greatly.

The wind began to pick up again, and a large swirl of sand billowed in front of me, hitting me in the face.

"_Ouch!_" I cursed angrily, rubbing at my face desperately, trying to clear my vision and keep my eyes on her.

"Gary! What's going on?" June cried behind me, her footsteps pounding into the sand after me.

"_HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!_" I ran as fast as I could possibly run, peeking through my eyes through the sand in them, trying to clear them out with my hands. More sand continued to get into my eyes, making them hurt whether I rubbed at them or not. All the while, I refused to stop running, whether I could see or not, desperate to find that girl. My eyes were blurred from tears as my eyes tried to flush the sand out of them, and I wiped away the tears in frustration, trying to see ahead of me. _What?! _I raged in my mind. _Where is she?!_

"Gary! What's going on? Why are you running?" June called after me.

"_MELISSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_" I bellowed, cupping my hands around my mouth, ringing my throat dry with my scream. "_MELISSAAAAA! IT'S GARYYYYYY! WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOUUUUU?!_" My eyes scanned the area, my feet kicking up even more sand both in front of, and behind, me. There was nobody around. Anywhere.

"Gary! Hold on! Please!" June begged from behind me.

"_PLEASE! MELISSA! WHERE ARE YOU?_" I kept running, seeking, my heart hurting as it thumped in my chest. Though I was breathing hard, I refused to stop. I had found her.

She was here. Melissa was here, in the Desert Resort.

There was nothing in this world that was going to stop me now. Screaming, running, and ignoring June as if she didn't exist, my legs continued to move. It didn't take much longer before I was feeling winded, and my running was slowing down to a jog. Where is she? I wondered, swallowing hard, my throat aching as I gasped for air, choking on sand, looking around in confusion and desperation.

Her light blue eyes flashed in my mind once again. Her small lips were pale and dry. Those eyes of hers met mine. Fright showed in them as they met mine, and they widened. She had seen me, and recognized me. Without a doubt. The instant she saw me, she ran away from me. But why?

June coughed from behind me as she stumbled up to me, out of breath. "Gary!" she choked out, grabbing my right shoulder. "Why did you do that? Why did you run away from me? Are you _trying _to get lost or something? What's wrong?"

I shook my shoulder from her grip and she cried out in surprise as her weary body dropped to the ground. Without turning around to make sure she was alright, my body got its second wind, and I was running into the desert again.

June cried out after me.

My heart was beating fast for a different reason, now. I was no longer tired, feeling surprisingly full of energy. She's out here. Melissa is out here, I told myself. Melissa is out here somewhere.

June's voice rang out through the desert, and this time, I stopped running.

It was as if a switch had turned on inside of my head. I turned around in a very slow circle, scanning the desert.

Sand.

Sand.

Sand.

Sand.

June.  
Sand.

Sand.

Sand.

Sand.

Sand.

Sand.

When I saw June the second time, laying in the sand on her knees, looking up at me with concern on her face as she squinted through the blowing sand at me, her hair blowing in the wind, my energy had left me. I froze and just kept my eyes on her. "June," I said in a voice too low for anyone else but me to hear.

June didn't move.

Slowly, struggling against the weight of mass exhaustion, I worked my way back over to June and dropped down next to her on my knees.

"Gary, what happened? What did you see?" June whimpered to me desperately. "Tell me! Why did you run?"

My eyes were on the ground, still stinging from the sand in them, watering up from a sadness within me. "You didn't see her, then."

"See who? Who was it, Gary? I couldn't see anyone at all!"

I nodded, feeling like an idiot.

"Who were you calling to, Gary?" June insisted, placing her hands on my shoulders.

I closed my eyes that continued shedding tears and leaned my head back, my face up at the sun.

"Gary! What's wrong? _Tell me!_" June shook me lightly.

My eyes opened and I looked down at her. "I think I'm losing my mind," I croaked weakly, leaning against her hands and resting my head on her shoulder. "I just need to get out of this damn desert."

June carefully pulled me into a hug, rubbing my back, and I leaned against her silently, tears sliding down my cheeks continuously and dripping quickly into the sand below.

It took me what felt like nearly an hour to pull myself together and stand back up, June asking me several times if I was alright. At first, I had only quietly nodded, desperately holding back my tears that fought against me to come out of my eyes, and sipped from my quickly depleting bottle of water, but I didn't move from where I stood.

June would patiently wait for a couple of minutes, sipping slowly from her own dwindling water bottle, before asking me if I was okay again.

After about the tenth time of her asking me, my answer, "Once we get to Nimbasa, I'll be okay," seemed to promote a small amount of energy in me, and I took my first step forward. I saw her, I thought to myself, my body already feeling ready to drop once again. I saw Melissa. Melissa's face was all I could see in my mind as I stumbled through the sand, tripping and nearly falling down a time or two. She looked tired, I think. It was only a quick glimpse I got of her, but something in her face just didn't look right. Maybe she was tired from traveling through the desert, too, I considered. Maybe June and I look just like her. But, where did she go? Why did my stupid eyes have to get blinded by sand while I was chasing her? I saw her! How did she get away so fast? That was definitely my sister. I _know_ that was Melissa! I can't believe this! After well over three years, I've located my sister. But why is she in _Unova?_ And why did she run away from me when she saw me? Was that really her? In this sand, wind, and intense heat, can I honestly say that I wasn't hallucinating and that I really did see my long lost sister? Couldn't it have been some other girl with blue eyes and thin lips? Aren't there millions of people on this planet that have blue freaking eyes and tiny damn lips?!

Her blue eyes had widened once they saw me, and her thin lips had parted in a shocked gasp. Those eyes of hers, flashing in fear once she recognized me…

No way, I thought, shaking my head. That was her.

I suddenly remembered Ashley Ein from the Pokemon League in Kanto. She was a competitor when I was there, and she looked so much like my sister, Melissa. At one point, I had sincerely believed that Ashley was actually Melissa, or something. She wasn't, and accepting this broke me down and just about destroyed any hopes I had of finding my sister alive.

But what I had just seen was entirely different. As much as I had believed that Ashley looked like Melissa, when I had seen this girl in the desert just now, there was no comparison. Ashley didn't even come close to what I had just seen, even with my eyes distorted by sand and tears. That girl I had seen in the desert _was_ Melissa. She absolutely had to be. I felt it in my heart, despite me usually believing that such sayings were stupid and made no real sense. That had to be her, I thought sadly, tearfully. But even if it was her, what does it matter if she magically disappeared all of a sudden? If it wasn't her, it was just a hallucination or something. Either way, she's gone now, so it means absolutely nothing. This fact stung me deep, and I sniffled sadly as my vision blurred from behind tears.

June screamed in fear from behind me, pulling me out of my thoughts, making me jump.

"June!" I turned around, wiping my eyes quickly, fearing the worst. Fearing she had seen something terrifying. Fearing she was in danger from someone or something. "June?"

June was on the ground, facedown. She looked up and shook her head. "Ouch! What did I trip over?"

She tripped, I thought, letting out a sigh of relief, trying to calm down my beating heart as I turned away from her.

"Gary!" June called.

"What?" I said impatiently, turning around to her, glaring.

"Look what I found!" June was on her knees, digging through the sand.

"June, are you serious right now?" My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. "June, I wanna get out of here! I don't feel like playing in the freaking sand right now."

"Gary, I'm telling you, this is something! Come here!" She was wiping at the sand, pushing it aside, digging through it, her eyes wide with excitement. "This is beautiful! My gosh, we could be _rich!_"

"Rich?" My attention was now fully grabbed. "What are you talking about?" I jogged over to her and stared down at some sort of a mask with a simple face on it that looked very familiar.

The mask sat on top of a large box with blue and yellow stripes on it.

June continued to dig around the box, and I could see flashes of gold on it, glimmering brightly.

I gasped, kneeling down. "What is this?"

"Help me!"

I dug around the box with June, and spotted more gold on the box, making me dig even faster around it as I tried to free it from the sand. "It looks like one of those coffins from, like, from pyramids or something!"

"Or a treasure chest! Out here, in a sandy place like this, I wouldn't be too surprised! Well, maybe a little," June giggled. "I mean, we _are _in a desert. Who knows what kinds of surprises are hidden out here, just waiting to be dug up!"

I dug my hand further into the sand, and my fingers slammed into something hard. "Ow!"

"Huh?" June looked up at me.

"I hit something!" Too much sand was blocking my view, so I dug through it, careful not to hit the hard object. "Maybe I found something else!"

"Really? Dig it up!" June exclaimed, and continued digging up her treasure.

"This looks like your thing!" I said excitedly, digging even faster. "I think we found two of them!"

It wasn't long before June unearthed her find and gasped. "Look at this!" she gasped.

I stared at an enormous coffin she had dug up, colored yellow, blue, and gold. "Oh, man!" I whispered in amazement. "That's incredible!"

"Come on! You have one, too!" June crawled around her box and quickly swiped her hands through the sand to uncover more of my find.

I joined her in the excavation.

It was a short time later before we were both standing up, looking at two, shining coffins.

"Gary, I think we've found the mother lode!" June said, her voice shaking from excitement and perhaps nervousness.

"There could be more around here," I realized.

"Yeah, but can we even carry these things? Are they empty?" June grabbed the side of the coffin, trying to find the opening, pulling on it. "It won't budge." She grunted, groaned, and cried out angrily as she pulled, tugged, pushed, and kicked the coffin. "Hmm, maybe yours will open."

"I'll try." I felt around the coffin, trying to find a latch or something to grab to try and open it. After a few minutes of feeling around it, I breathed a tired sigh and sat on the coffin. "You know, there's probably a dead body in here now that I think about it." I smiled sinisterly.

June gasped and backed away. "You mean, you really think it's a coffin?"

"Well, I know that some of the Egyptians were buried in coffins of gold, right? Although, I think some of the coffins were just filled with gold, too. I could be wrong about that, though."

June backed away from the coffin. "I was hoping for gold, without the inclusion of a dead body."

"Well, these things won't budge, so we can't carry them. Our best bet is to tell the authorities when we get out of here."

"Right, well, let's find the way out already," June said, running both of her hands through her hair.

We both looked around.

"Do you remember what direction we were going in?" I asked her.

"I was hoping you knew," June answered nervously.

Something wrapped around my body tightly.

June and I both gasped at the same time. I turned to see that the middle of her body was wrapped in white gauze.

"What's-?" June cried, staring at me with wide, shocked eyes.

We were both pulled backwards, off of our feet, and more gauze wrapped around June's body.

I looked down and saw that my body was being wrapped up tightly in gauze, too! "What is this?" The last thing I saw before my entire body was bound tightly by gauze, as I was lifted high into the air and turned around, pulled down to the ground, were the coffins, both now wide open, nothing but blackness inside of them.

Four shadowy arms reached out from the sides of the coffins, two on each side. The coffins were outlined in a black, shadowy color.

My entire body was wrapped in gauze, my mouth forced shut, my body squeezed uncomfortably tight, blinded, and I was slammed into a solid surface, a loud slamming noise following my collision. I groaned, about the only noise I could make.

There was no sound but the light howl of the wind outside.

Nothing moved.

Where am I? What happened? I wondered. I struggled, grunting, trying to free myself from the bandages wrapped around me, but I was too tired, weak, and thirsty to fight for long. It was hard to breathe in the bandages, and the material was itchy. I laid still, trying to inhale as much air as possible.

It seemed as if a couple of hours had passed as I laid still, helpless, weak, constrained, the bandages tightening around me. June, I thought. She's in this same predicament, trapped like me. Trapped by some kind of monster. Or maybe this is a Pokemon!

Time passed, though I couldn't tell how much or how fast or slow it was going by. How long will I be here? My heart was beating in a panic as more time passed, fear pumping through my body, my head throbbing from the pain of the ever tightening bandages. Why am I here? What did I do? What is this thing I'm in? It seemed like I was using a lot of my energy just to breathe at this point. Something's going on, I realized as my struggles to breathe were meaning less and less. My heart pounded in my chest, feeling as if it were beating inside of my head as well, and I could hear it. It didn't feel as though oxygen was making its way into my lungs at all anymore, and I struggled again, desperate to free myself from the bandages and the inside of this coffin. I was no longer able to inhale, though I struggled hard to do so. No! No! No! I thought, trying to open my mouth, giving my all to inhale through my nose. I'm dying! I'm dying! I'm going to die in here! I thrust my body as hard as I could as my body began to freak out, desperate for air to get inside of me. Desperate to keep me alive!

Suddenly, the coffin I was in rocked hard, and a loud cry echoed from inside of the coffin, rattling my eardrums, and was followed by a second, similar cry from nearby.

Though my eyes were closed and wrapped in bandages, I could just barely manage to see that there was some kind of light from somewhere, and at once, the coffin I was in, moved, and I was thrown around, landing on a softer surface. Struggling with the last of my breath as I could feel myself losing consciousness, confused about what was going on now, I could feel my energy returning to me, slowly, but surely, and with the last cry I could utter from my throat, my body stretched out and I broke free from the bandages. "_AAAAAHHHHHHHH!_" I inhaled loudly, sandy air getting inside of my nose and mouth. On my hands and knees, I choked on the sandy air, coughing hard and spitting, but took another deep gulp of air, swallowing some sand. I turned to my right as I noticed a large object moving, and realized something was on the ground, wrapped in bandages! "June?" I croaked weakly, still gasping hard.

The thing inside of the cocoon looking object burst free, and June was on her back, inhaling hard on her first breath, and then rolling onto her knees, choking on the sandy air she had breathed in and out repeatedly.

"June!" I crawled over to her. "June! Are you okay?"

She continued to cough hard, spitting and choking, hacking up something from in her throat and spitting a glob of spit in the sand.

I rubbed her back and turned around to the coffins. My eyes widened in horror as I backed away from June.

June looked at me and then turned behind her. She let out a scream. "They're Pokemon!"

The two coffins were no longer on the ground, but instead were floating in the air. The strange mask at the top of the coffins now contained a pair of terrifying red eyes underneath them. They weren't looking at us, but were focused on something to their right. Before I could turn to see what they were looking at, a ball of fire flew at one of the coffins suspended in the air, forcing it back.

"Look at that Pokemon!" June pointed.

"What is it?" I held out my Pokedex at the Pokemon before us.

_**Cofagrigus. The Coffin Pokemon. This is Yamask's evolved form. Long ago, this Pokemon would guard coffins by posing as coffins and then wrapping would-be robbers up in gauze. The robbers would be held captive inside of Cofagrigus and drained of their life, leaving them as mummies.**_

_**Darumaka. The Zen Charm Pokemon. Similar to a tumbler doll, it cannot be knocked over when it sleeps. This Pokemon can be completely uncontrollable and excited when the flame inside of its body burns.**_

That's why that mask on Cofagrigus looks familiar, I thought, my eyes widening in recognition as I looked up at the three Pokemon. It's like the mask that my Pokedex showed me when I scanned Yamask earlier.

Darumaka let out a continuous little chatter from its mouth and attacked one of the Cofagrigus again, hitting it with Flare Blitz.

Cofagrigus cried out weakly, dropping to the ground with a grunt.

Darumaka landed on the ground, grunting from the pain it received from the recoil damage of Flare Blitz.

The other Cofagrigus attacked Darumaka by cupping all four of its hands, a black ball forming between them before it launched Shadow Ball attack at Darumaka.

Darumaka was forced back through the sand, its feet firmly planted, one hand down, the other in the air. It let out a determined cry and used Flare Blitz again, dropping the second Cofagrigus to the ground, wincing again from suffering the recoil damage.

The two Cofagrigus got up shakily, pained, and fled from Darumaka, disappearing into the whirling sands.

Darumaka turned to June and I and let out an eager cry. It ran and circled around us rapidly, just a red blur trapping June and I where we stood.

"He's really full of energy, isn't he?" June said with a weary smile.

"It, er, he, saved our lives," I commented. "Darumaka!" I knelt down. "Can you calm down for a second? I want to thank you."

Darumaka kept on running, circling us, kicking up sand in my face.

I wiped at my face and watched the red ball of energy.

"Darumaka, I wanted to thank you for saving June and I!" I called out to him. "You saved our lives. We really appreciate your help!"

Darumaka finally stopped running and looked me in my face curiously.

"Yes, Darumaka," June added. "Thank you so much." She knelt down to Darumaka. "You were just amazing, fighting those two on your own like that. We can't thank you enough!"

Darumaka took us both by surprise as he leaped at June, tackling her hard, knocking her onto her back. He leaped on June's chest as she laid on her back in the sand, groaning in pain.

"What'd you do that for?" I demanded, standing up and staring at Darumaka in shock.

"He wasn't trying to be mean," June moaned, her eyes closed tightly. "Just another consequence of that energy your Pokedex was telling us about."

"Hmm. Oh," I said thoughtfully. A smile crept over my face. "Well, then how about we put that energy to the test?" I grabbed a Poke Ball and backed up several feet.

Darumaka turned to me, standing on June.

"Go!" I yelled, throwing my Poke Ball.

"Drilbur!" Drilbur exclaimed.

Darumaka looked at Drilbur and slowly stepped off of June.

"Darumaka, I've got to capture a cool Pokemon like you! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" I said with a raised fist, an eager, energetic surge running throughout my body.

Darumaka leaped in the air excitedly, seeming to like the idea. At once, Darumaka flew into Drilbur, knocking him over with Flare Blitz.

"Driiiiiiiil!" Dirlbur screamed in pain as he was forced back through the sand.

Darumaka bent over in pain from the recoil damage.

"Drilbur, I want you to use your Dig attack!" I ordered.

Drilbur dug underground immediately as Darumaka tried to hit him with Incinerate, which missed. Drilbur appeared underneath Darumaka from the sand, punching him with an uppercut.

Darumaka stumbled back, but seemed just fine otherwise.

"He's tough!" I smiled. "Even with a Ground move that he's weak to, from a Ground type like Drilbur, in the middle of a Sandstorm, Darumaka is still standing."

"Your Drilbur has Sand Force Ability, right?" June asked, sitting up and watching the battle.

"That's right. It boosts Ground, Rock, and Steel moves in the middle of a Sandstorm. Drilbur, use your Earthquake this time!"

Darumaka moved quickly, hitting Drilbur with a fiery fist in the stomach as he leaped into the air to slam back down into the ground to attack with Earthquake.

"Drilbur, get back up! We can end this all!" I shouted.

Drilbur groaned as he forced himself back up.

Darumaka flew at Drilbur with another Flare Blitz, sending my Pokemon flying through the air.

"Drilbur!" I screamed as he flew right over my head, into the sand a few feet away.

"Dril…" Drilbur groaned and he remained on his back.

My eyes widened in shock. "No way! My Drilbur!" I gasped. With a growl, I returned him to his Poke Ball and turned around to Darumaka, who was jumping up and down in the air, seeming just fine and ready for more.

"Alright." I smiled, pleased with Darumaka's strength and energy, and looked down at Pidove's Poke Ball, and then shook my head. "Cottonee, go! Use Stun Spore!"

"Coooottoneeee!" Cottonee cried, and in a flash, he showered Darumaka in a golden powder as he Paralyzed him.

Darumaka groaned and twitched in pain, but suddenly, his body was coated in flames as he flew at Cottonee with Flare Blitz.

"COOOOOOOTTTTTONEE!" Cottonee wailed as he bounced along the sand in pain, stopping just an inch from my feet.

"Cottonee?" I called out to him as I bent over to pick him up.

Cottonee didn't say a word, his eyes closed.

"That was a bad type match up, I guess," I admitted. "Come on back. And thanks." I returned Cottonee to his Poke Ball.

Darumaka was punching at the air, hopping eagerly, looking as if he hadn't suffered any damage from our battling at all!

I have no other choice, I knew as I grabbed an empty Poke Ball. That thing is mine! "Poke Ball, I choose you!" I threw it hard and watched as the Poke Ball neared Darumaka.

Darumaka did a back flip, kicking away the Poke Ball.

I caught it in my hand and glared at the hyperactive Pokemon. "Fine! Pidove, you're up!" I screamed angrily as I threw his Poke Ball.

"Piiiiiidove!" Pidove cried out as he flew from his Poke Ball.

"Pidove, use Quick Attack! Go!"

Pidove flashed white as he vanished and then reappeared, flying directly into Darumaka.

Darumaka was taken by surprised by the speed of Pidove's attack and slid in the sand on his back, staying there for a moment before leaping back up to his feet.

"Again! Do it!"

Pidove flew into Darumaka once again.

Darumaka shivered a little bit as he got back up. He looked up at Pidove and then bent over, holding his body as the Paralysis kicked in.

"End this one with Air Cutter, Pidove!"

Pidove flapped his wings, flying higher into the air to attack.

I waited eagerly.

Darumaka looked up at Pidove, preparing for the attack.

Pidove let out a determined cry.

Nothing happened.

"Piii?" Pidove cried weakly.

"He… Forgot…" June said, drooping her head.

"PIDOVE!" I raged. "I said to use Air Cutter! Quick Attack! _Come on!_"

Darumaka's body was coated in flames, and he soared towards Pidove.

Pidove let out a terrified cry. At once, Pidove shook his head and cried out strongly as he soared at Darumaka.

"Pidove! Wait!" I called out to him.

"He only remembers Quick Attack right now and that's the move you told him to do just now!" June cried.

"He's gonna get knocked out!" I yelled.

Both Pokemon collided into each other.

Pidove tumbled backwards through the air, finally landing in the sand, facedown.

Darumaka slid for a few seconds on his stomach before stopping. He twitched in pain from the recoil damage and remained still.

"Poke Ball, go!" I shouted, and threw it at Darumaka.

Darumaka's eyes opened and he forced himself to his feet, his eyes on the Poke Ball as it neared him.

How can he still fight? I asked myself in frustration as I grit my teeth hard.

Darumaka suddenly dropped to his knees and the Poke Ball hit him, sucking him inside.

The Poke Ball fell to the ground, the center of it glowing red as it shook.

Pidove shook his head and shakily managed to sit up as he watched the Poke Ball shaking on the ground.

June took a couple of steps forward, eyeing the shaking Poke Ball.

My arms shook as I kept my eyes on the Poke Ball that continued to shake on the ground.

_PING!_

The red light faded to white.

"I caught him!" I cheered as I ran towards the Poke Ball and picked it up, holding it up to the sky. "I captured Darumaka!"

June clapped, smiling. "Congratulations, Gary! A Darumaka!"

"And a damn well tough one, at that! This is great! What energy he has. I'm so excited about this."

"I'm just really happy we were freed from those Cofagrigus," June sighed. "I couldn't even tell they were Pokemon at first. I feel rather embarrassed that I couldn't tell."

I thought about her words. "Well, I know you can read Pokemon and everything, but it isn't a flawless talent. I mean, you still can't read Porygon-Z, and you had a lot of trouble reading Tera's Pokemon back in Viridian City."

June looked down sadly.

"Don't be down about it, June," I said, walking over to her. "You just need to work on it. You're only fifteen. You have so much time to master your ability to read Pokemon. You're doing great. You read Daramaka."  
"That's true." June looked at my Poke Ball.

"You know, I've seen you read Pokemon," I told June as I placed one hand on her shoulder. "You usually look them right in the eyes. Remember when we saw that Ditto on our way to Pallet Town? The one disguised as all those Legendary Pokemon? You walked right up to it and looked it in the eyes. But before that, you were fooled by its transformations. So before the Cofagrigus showed their faces, you just couldn't see into their eyes. Maybe that's what it is."

June looked up at me and smiled. "When I had touched the Cofagrigas, when I thought they were coffins, I felt something. A feeling I only get from touching a Pokemon. I just, I don't know exactly. I guess I ignored it or something. I can't explain it." June sighed, managing a small laugh. "I'm so confused by this all. The Cofagrigus were so well disguised, it threw me off, and I didn't even trust my instincts about them."

I smiled back at her before turning around, gazing up ahead. "We're all tired, traveling through this damn sandstorm, June. It's no wonder you couldn't think straight. Let's get these guys to a Pokemon Center already and we can get that long awaited shower. We can't possibly be that far from Nimbasa City at this point."

"I sure hope not. I am absolutely _filthy!_" June said in disgust.

"Pidooove!" Pidove said, and he flew into the air, landing on my left shoulder.

"Ready?" I asked him.

Pidove nodded.

"Let's go," I nodded back.

It was night as we continued to trek through the desert, the cold, chilly air cooling me down, giving me some level of relief after such a difficult day.

We were inside of those Cofagrigus for hours, I realized, my heart beating fast again. The sun was out when we ran into those things. Now, it's dark out. At least we're safe. And almost at Nimbasa City.

We've just got to be.


End file.
